Grenell hints at potential California gubernatorial candidacy

Richard GrenellRichard Grenell The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by The AIDS Institute – Tanden’s chances drop to lead OMB Former Trump officials eye candidates for political office Grenell congratulates Buttigieg on becoming second openly gay Cabinet member KNOW MORE, a former Trump administration official and popular figure among the GOP’s right flank, has hinted that he may run for governor of California as governor. Gavin NewsomGavin NewsomBiden Focuses on Winter Storm with Texas Trip The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Facebook – J&J A-OK, Tanden in Trouble California law will send 0 direct payments to low-income residents MORE (D) faces a Republican recall effort.

Speaking at the Annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday, Grenell, the former acting director of national intelligence and ambassador to Germany, launched an attack on Newsom and praised the recall effort that gaining momentum in the Golden State.

“If you want the best possible case for a recall campaign, take a look at my home state of California. California was once Reagan Country, a shining example of business innovation and middle class success. But now when you think of California, you think of the runaway wildfires, continual power outages, schools still closed, businesses closed, fracking bans, and wealthy people jumping on the vaccination line. “, did he declare. crowd.

“In my three decades in American politics, I have never seen a better case of recall than there is now in California,” he added. “And of course, if a public official still doesn’t keep their promises, and if you can’t limit their tenure or call them back in time, there’s always another option: you can run against them yourself.”

Mercedes Schlapp, another former White House official, praised Grenell after his speech, saying on stage: “I don’t know, I think he would make a great governor of California.”

The remarks come amid reports that Grenell is considering a gubernatorial candidacy if Newsom’s recall effort advances.

Grenell did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill after his speech to CPAC.

Trump allies such as Fox New host Sean hannitySean Patrick HannityCruz attributes criticism of trip to Cancun to ‘Trump withdrawal’ by media The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by The AIDS Institute – Tanden’s odds drop to lead OMB Former Trump officials eyeing political posts PLUS be p. Matt GaetzMatthew (Matt) GaetzTrump reappears on the political scene at CPAC Former Trump officials eyeing political office Cancun fallout threatens to cause lasting damage to Cruz READ MORE (R-Fla.) Urged Grenell to launch a gubernatorial bid if Newsom is recalled, and sources previously told The Hill the former Trump official was considering it, although he acknowledged that a Republican running for a statewide job in California would face hardship. chances.

Discussions over a possible Grenell offer come as Newsom faces a recall effort that looks increasingly likely to go to the polls later this year.

Supporters of the recall effort are setting a deadline for mid-March to collect the signatures needed to force a vote. The California Secretary of State’s office said that up to Feb. 5, it had verified 668,202 signatures of the 1,495,709 supporters of the recall who must surrender to force the recall. Another 300,000 signatures had yet to be processed, but advocates for the recall said they had collected around 1.7 million signatures in total.

Supporters need 1.5 million signatures, but often submit hundreds of thousands more in anticipation that some will be dismissed as invalid.

Newsom faces criticism on several fronts. Frustration has boiled over among Republicans over his coronavirus restrictions and its impact on the economy. He also sparked a firestorm by ordering some businesses to shut down and urged Californians to stay home only to be spotted at a fancy restaurant celebrating a political adviser’s birthday.

As a sign that controversies have taken their toll, Newsom’s approval rating fell from 64% in September to just 46% at the end of January, according to a poll conducted by the Institute for Government Studies at the University of California at Berkeley .

However, some observers believe Newsom will survive given the increasingly deep blue tint of the country’s largest state. No Republican with a sizable number of supporters has officially thrown their hat in the ring to oppose Newsom in a recall election, and registered Democrats outnumber Republicans registered by a margin of nearly two against one.

Grenell would certainly bring a slew of genuine pro-Trump into a gubernatorial race and likely excite the GOP base. However, it remains unclear whether support for the former president would bear fruit in California, which Trump lost by nearly 30 points.