Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli huddled briefly with President Donald Trump in New Jersey on Friday night, stoking speculation as the former state assemblyman vies for a key endorsement in the race. Ciattarelli had a sit-down with Trump and Elon Musk after posing for a photo with the president at his Bedminster golf club, two sources familiar with the meeting told the What Makes Jersey Run newsletter. It was unclear what they spoke about. Sources said an endorsement from Trump was not immediately expected. “Tonight, my great honor and pleasure to share time with @POTUS at Trump National in Bedminster,” Ciattarelli later posted on X, sharing photos of the pair posing together. A spokesperson for Ciattarelli’s campaign declined to comment. Trump’s sojourn to Bedminster this weekend, Musk in tow, is his first such visit since his Jan. 20 inauguration. It comes as Kitchen Table Conservatives, a super PAC designed to stunt Spadea and boost Ciattarelli, is holding a fundraiser at Bedminster. The PAC was co-founded by former Trump adviser and New Jersey native Kellyanne Conway, who was present at the meet-up on Friday night. Trump’s blessing is seen as the make-or-break factor in this year’s fierce GOP primary, a lynchpin that could cement its recipient’s June 10 hopes. Ciattarelli has been leading in the polls, but that could change quickly should the president choose to throw his weight behind one of his four opponents. The biggest threat to Ciattarelli is former radio host Bill Spadea, who has also been energetically courting Trump for his endorsement both in public and behind the scenes. Allies of both candidates have privately been trying to sway the president, each pointing to critical comments the other has made about him in the past. One particular insult that has come back to haunt Ciattarelli is his use of the term “charlatan‚” which he used to describe Trump in 2015. Spadea’s campaign used it to needle him in a recent attack ad. Spadea, for his part, had criticized Trump on his morning show on New Jersey 101.5, calling his first term a “failure” in one 2021 broadcast. Both men have since walked their remarks back. Still, Trump’s endorsement has remained elusive, and there is no guarantee he plans to offer one at all. His sole public comments on this year’s race were made on Spadea’s radio show last year, when he praised the host for having his back “from the beginning.” He also criticized Ciattarelli without naming him. “The guy never came to ask for my support,” Trump said. “When MAGA sees that, they don’t like it and they didn’t vote for him. He would have won easily if he did.” Ciattarelli did not ask Trump for his support in the 2021 race, which he lost narrowly to incumbent Democrat Phil Murphy. A super PAC for Spadea, Legacy of Liberty, has been running an ad in recent days touting Trump’s radio appearance. The ad also features a photo of Spadea and Trump posing together. A source said that Friday night’s Bedminster photo gives Ciattarelli “visual parity” with his rival. A spokesperson for Spadea’s camp did not immediately return a request for comment. Also in the GOP race state Sen. Jon Bramnick, former state Sen. Ed Durr and former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac. All but Bramnick, an unapologetic Trump critic, are brawling for the president’s endorsement. “They’re using any angle they can,” New Jersey Republican National Committeewoman Janice Fields previously told the What Makes Jersey Run newsletter. The bloody battle for Trump’s backing is taking place as Democratic candidates on the blue side of the race have upped their attacks on both the president and Musk. On Friday, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill asked inspectors general overseeing government departments to investigate what she sees as Musk’s conflicts of interest as both a government contractor and a Trump adviser. She also said she gave back $31,500 her congressional campaignes received from the corporate PAC arm of SpaceX, Musk’s aerospace company. One of her opponents, former state Senate President Steve Sweeney, had called her out on it this week, saying she trying to have it “both ways” on Musk. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. AJ McDougall may be reached at amcdougall@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on X at @oldmcdougall.