Potential challenger to Gavin Newsom said to be meeting with Trump as recall efforts progress

Richard Grenell will meet with former President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate Saturday to discuss a possible run for California governor, according to reports from Politico.

Grenell, who served as a foreign ambassador and later acting Director of National Intelligence under Trump, has been rumored to be considering a run against Gov. Gavin Newsom, the California Democrat who is facing a mounting recall effort.

On Saturday during remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Grenell said he has “never seen a better case” for a recall in California, and hinted at running for governor himself.

“If a public official is still failing to deliver on their promises and you can’t limit their term, or recall them in time, there’s always another option: you can run against them yourself,” Grenell told the conference.

Grenell had previously served under President George W. Bush and is a frequent appearance on cable news. In 2012, he signed on to Mitt Romney’s campaign as a foreign policy spokesperson. He was criticized for his inflammatory rhetoric on Twitter, often taking aim at Newt Gingrich, Hillary Clinton and Democrats.

In now-deleted tweets, Grenell also made comments about Joe Biden receiving Botox, and delivered jabs against then-first lady Michelle Obama.

“Did you notice that while Michelle Obama is working out on the (TV show) BiggestLoser she is sweating on the East Room’s carpet ? Just saying,” he said in an April 2012 tweet.