The news organization attributed the story to “three Republicans familiar with his thinking.”

Politico said the 49-year-old Thiel, a San Francisco resident who co-founded PayPal and was an early investor in Facebook, has been discussing a prospective bid with a small circle of advisers, including Rob Morrow, who Politico said “has emerged as his political consigliere.” Morrow has worked at Clarium Capital, the San Francisco-based investment management firm and hedge fund founded by Thiel.