While some American conservatives have had trouble embracing Republican nominee Donald Trump as a presidential candidate, a new option emerged Monday in the form of Evan McMullin.
McMullin, a former CIA operative, announced that he will run as a third-party candidate in the U.S. Presidential Election.
He declared his candidacy Monday issuing a release which stated: “In a year where Americans have lost faith in the candidates of both major parties, it’s time for a generation of new leadership to step up.
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“It’s never too late to do the right thing, and America deserves much better than either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton can offer us. I humbly offer myself as a leader who can give millions of disaffected Americans a better choice for President.”
There have been suggestions that McMullin’s candidacy is being supported by the NeverTrump movement in an attempt to derail the businessman’s campaign.
McMullin, who holds a degree in International Law and Diplomacy from BYU and a MBA from the Wharton business school, is clearly looking to offer a conservative alternative to the divisive Trump.
After spending a decade working for the CIA, including a stint in the Middle East, McMullin took a job with Goldman Sachs where he remained for two years before taking a job with the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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Pair his professional job with the fact he is a Mormon and McMullin would appear to check a lot of boxes for the ultra-conservative wing of the Republican party which has failed to embrace Trump.
McMullin started the day with 150 followers on Twitter, a number which has quickly exploded to almost 27,000.
Of course, there are several issues preventing him from making a serious run at the presidency.
He has already missed deadlines in half of the US states and would also need to raise an incredible amount of money in order to launch a serious bid.
While those are both serious crutches, his most serious issue might be the fact he is battling celebrities in Trump and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton while many Americans might be left wondering, who is Evan McMullin?
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