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Neither Grenell nor a Trump spokesperson responded to requests for comment.
Trump has yet to publicly weigh in on the recall effort, although many of his staunch supporters have made it clear that they support Newsom’s withdrawal. Former Trump aide Mercedes Schlapp, wife of CPAC director Matt Schlapp, remarked on stage Saturday morning that Grenell “would make a great governor of California.”
Grenell, 54, residing in Palm Springs, Calif., Is close to the former president and is in frequent contact with him. In addition to spending several months as Trump’s acting director of national intelligence, Grenell was also ambassador to Germany in the Trump administration. Grenell aggressively campaigned for Trump’s re-election in 2020 and pushed Trump’s unsubstantiated allegations of fraud after the vote.
If he did come forward, Grenell would likely be backed by a major fundraiser. He was a major draw in Trump fundraisers in the 2020 campaign, and many of the former president’s top contributors called on him to enter the contest. But if Grenell’s relationship with Trump is likely to help him with Republican voters, it could be a complicating factor. The former president only got 34% of the vote in California in 2020, and Democrats have indicated they are eager to focus a recall campaign on Trump instead of questioning how Newsom handled the coronavirus pandemic.
Grenell is set to meet with wealthy donors based in Southern California next week, and he has started to put together what someone close to him has described as an experienced fundraising team.
The organizers of the recall, who tapped into growing disapproval of Newsom’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, say they have collected 1.8 million signatures from Californians who support the recall. They must submit 1.5 million valid signatures to the California Secretary of State’s office by March 17 in order to qualify the recall for the ballot. They say they are trying to raise around 2 million or more because election officials are almost certain to deem some signatures invalid.
If the recall did the vote, California voters would be asked to vote on two issues – whether to recall Newsom and which candidate should replace him. California’s last recall election was in 2003, when Democrat Gray Davis was cast and replaced by actor and professional bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican.
Grenell would join a growing list of Republican contenders. Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer has launched a campaign, as has wealthy businessman John Cox, who severely lost to Newsom in 2018. Former Rep. Doug Ose also said he was considering a offer.
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