Former Gov. William F. Weld is heading to New Hampshire soon and don’t count him out of the 2020 mix — either as a Libertarian or a Republican.

Weld has snagged a highly sought after invitation to speak at the New England Council and Saint Anselm College’s “politics and eggs” series on Feb. 15, where he should shed more light on his White House ambitions. The breakfast speeches have become must-make events for presidential candidates.

“He may make news,” said New England Council CEO Jim Brett. “What kind of news, I don’t know.”

Weld declined comment when contacted by the Herald, but the 73-year-old former Republican governor, who ran on the Libertarian ticket as a vice presidential candidate in 2016, clearly still has national ambitions and sources close to him say he’d relish a chance to take on Donald Trump.

The biggest question Weld has to answer is will he stick with the Libertarian line, or throw a curveball and go back to the Republican Party to take on Trump in the primaries. By switching to a Republican, Weld would avoid being cast as a gadfly and maybe even get a chance to share a debate stage with Trump.

Now that is a showdown you want to see. Weld faced off against former Sen. John Kerry nine times in their 1996 race and still is in fighting form, whether it’s playing squash or doing his job as a lawyer with ML Strategies.

Running as a Republican would give Weld his best chance for a direct encounter with Trump, whom he’s harshly criticized in the past. The other advantage to not running as a Libertarian is Weld can avoid a scenario where he actually helps Trump by taking away votes from the Democratic nominee in the 2020 general election.

There are big obstacles with a GOP challenge — most notably Trump’s high approval ratings within the Republican Party. Challenging Trump in the GOP would be a long-shot at best. The last incumbent president to lose an intra-party challenge was Chester Arthur in 1884. There’s also speculation that Maryland’s Republican Gov. Larry Hogan will challenge Trump in the primaries, and that would make it difficult for Weld to gain support.

But if things get worse for Trump and special prosecutor Robert Mueller uncovers possibly impeachable crimes, all bets are off.

The New Hampshire primary would be a receptive place for Weld to launch his campaign. The former governor has a house there so he’s at least a part-time resident, much like former Gov. Mitt Romney.

The Granite State also has proved to be welcoming to candidates with fiercely independent streaks such as the late Sen. John McCain. Weld fits into that maverick mold. He was a moderate governor in Massachusetts — fiscally conservative and socially liberal — and known for being able to cross party lines.

One thing’s for sure — if Weld decides to run, that’s bad news for Trump. Incumbent presidents who get seriously challenged in the primaries haven’t fared well in the general election. Just ask Jimmy Carter.