ORLANDO, Florida – Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell didn’t rule out running for California governor after teasing a potential challenge to Gov. Gavin Newsom in his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), he told Fox News on Saturday.
“He clearly is afraid,” Grenell said of Newsom. “He clearly is getting nervous about this effort because he sees Democrats are supporting it.”
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When asked if he would run for governor, Grenell said: “We’ve got to concentrate on the recall. We’re not there yet.”
“I would just caution people to not put the cart before the horse,” he added. “We have 200,000 volunteers working very hard. They don’t feel like we have this yet. We have to keep getting signatures.”
He did not answer a second question asking if he’d announce a run.
A source familiar confirmed to Fox News that Grenell will discuss a potential run for California governor with former President Donald Trump on Saturday night. Politico first reported that the two would be dining together.
Grenell in his CPAC speech appeared to hint that he may run for governor of California if the effort to get a recall election against Gov. Gavin Newsom is successful.
“In my three decades in American politics, I have never seen a better case for a recall than there is right now in California,” Grenell said. “And of course if a public official is still failing to deliver on their promises. And if you can’t limit their term or recall them in time. There’s always one other option. You can run against them yourself.”
The California recall petition has surpassed the number of signatures necessary to trigger a recall of Newsom, but those signatures still have to be verified. The recall would not be officially triggered until the signatures are verified.
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This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
