Ric Grenell listens during a news conference in front of the Clark County Electoral Department, Thursday, November 5, 2020, in Las Vegas. | AP Photo / John Locher
WASHINGTON – Richard Grenell, a fierce ally of former President Donald Trump and a constant presence in MAGA politics, is interviewing campaign strategists and laying the groundwork for a possible candidacy for the governor of California if the attempt to oust Governor Gavin Newsom is ahead, according to a Republican strategist who talked to Grenell about his plans.
The strategist said Grenell, the former ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence in the Trump administration, said he plans to announce his campaign as soon as the recall effort qualifies for the vote, as it seems increasingly likely.
A second strategist said on Friday that Grenell is also talking to major Southern California donors about a possible race.
The recall campaign, if qualified, would face great odds in strongly democratic California, which has become more inhospitable for Republicans since Democratic Governor Gray Davis was recalled in 2003. And Grenell, due to his close ties to Trump, appears to have a limited constituency in a state that Trump lost by almost 30 percentage points in November.
Still, Newsom’s public approval rating dropped amid the coronavirus pandemic. And Grenell’s openings reflect Republicans’ intense national interest in revoking the Democratic governor of the country’s most populous state. The Republican National Committee is investing $ 250,000 in the effort.
Grenell said in an e-mail that “it is not true” that he has started interviewing campaign officials and strategists and is preparing to announce a race if the recall qualifies. A source close to him said that “it can still happen anyway”.
Grenell’s entry into the race could instantly reorganize the Republican camp in the recall campaign, draining conservative support from other candidates and fragmenting Newsom’s opponents along the MAGA lines. And it could help Newsom define the campaign against him as a product of Trump’s allies.
“It would be a disaster,” said Rob Stutzman, a California Republican political strategist who criticizes Trump. “It is a great gift for Newsom to be able to frame the recall as Trumpists versus him.”
A Grenell candidacy, he said, “increases the chances that the recall will become a dead letter.”
It is possible, however, that Grenell could galvanize state-based Republicans. More than 100 candidates ran to replace Davis in 2003. If the recall qualifies, the number of candidates this year could match or exceed that. And with such a large field, a candidate who can organize even a relatively small segment of the electorate can be successful.
Although California’s general electorate strongly disapproves of Trump, he remained popular with Republicans, winning more than six million votes in California. A Trump endorsement played a decisive role in Republican John Cox’s victory in the 2018 general election, where he lost loudly to Newsom.
Grenell’s good faith with the GOP base may exceed that of Cox. Former San Diego councilman Carl DeMaio, who speaks to Grenell periodically and hosts a radio program with a substantial conservative audience, said that “the lines light up ”When Grenell is involved. DeMaio, a critic of former San Diego Republican Party mayor Kevin Faulconer – who has already announced his candidacy – said Grenell “will get the base to appear” in California and argued that Grenell’s openness could attract some independents. And in addition to encouraging participation, said DeMaio, Grenell could run a larger fundraising network.
“You have a potential candidate here who, if you ran, would have more name ID than the other names being considered,” said DeMaio, predicting that Grenell could quickly raise substantial amounts by accessing Trump’s donor list. “He would really be able to compete with the Democratic cash machine in California.”
Faulconer’s campaign declined to comment on Grenell on Friday. Cox, who is also running, said in a prepared statement: “I like Rick and his international service to the nation speaks for itself. Regardless of who can run, my effort is focused on the solutions desperately desired by Californians, forgotten by the establishment’s political class like Gavin Newsom and Kevin Faulconer. “
Dan Newman, Newsom’s top political advisor, said in a text message: “No surprise – Grenell, [conservative commentator Mike] Cernovich, Trump, Faulconer, Cox … is a Republican recall of its rotten party core. “
Grenell, who has publicly punched Newsom, was encouraged to lead by Trump’s top donors.
In late January, Grenell wrote an article on Fox News addressing Newsom’s management of the coronavirus pandemic, saying “he cannot be called back quickly enough”. And when the Biden White House weighed in against the recall this week, Grenell wrote on Twitter, “White House now panicking with the @ recallgavin2020 campaign. Meanwhile, closed schools, closed gyms, closed churches, restaurants just outdoors, terrible distribution of vaccines, homelessness out of control, continuous blackouts – Gavin’s incompetence will be on the ballots. “
A celebrity among Donald Trump’s loyalists, Grenell has been a staunch supporter of Trump’s nationalist policies and a credible controversial presence on Twitter, scathing reporters and Democrats. A former adviser to UN Ambassador John Bolton, Grenell also worked for Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign. Fox News reported in August that he joined the Republican National Committee as a senior adviser focused on LGBTQ outreach.
The recall organizers appear to be close to collecting 1.5 million valid signatures they will need to qualify for the vote in mid-March. If successful, the recall measure could go to voters later this year.