Meet Evan McMullin who just launched his presidential bid to take on Trump
Republicans who don't support Donald Trump for President face a difficult decision this November. They could hold their noses and vote for Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate. They could decide not to vote at all.
Or, they could throw their support behind an independent candidate on the ballot — Evan McMullin.
He just registered on Monday. And while you've likely never heard of him, McMullin is positioning himself as the candidate for conservative, anti-Trump supporters.
McMullin comes to the candidacy having never been elected to public office. But he's a former policy director for the House Republicans, and a former CIA counterterrorism officer. He also has the backing of several so-called "Never Trump" Republicans.
As It Happens guest host Rachel Giese asked him why he threw his name in the ring for US President. Here is part of their conversation.
Rachel Giese: Mr. McMullin, the conservatives in the US already have a presidential candidate in Donald Trump. Why do you think they need another one?
Evan McMullin: I don't think Donald Trump is a conservative in the first place. And the second thing is, he's already losing very badly to Hillary Clinton.
RG: You say he's not a conservative — what do you mean?
EM: Where do you start? I don't believe he's pro-life. I don't believe he supports the second amendment. I don't believe he understands, amazingly, the value of trade. He doesn't believe in limited government, that's for sure. And he doesn't believe in our system of balance, separation of powers and federalism.
RG: You do have one thing in common with Mr. Trump, that neither of you have ever held public office. You're talking about America needing a new kind of leader — why are you ready to be president?
EM: It's true, neither of us have held political office before. But I believe that I'm well-prepared to work with the other leaders in this country to confront some of our largest challenges. First of all, we're faced with a growing threat of Islamic terrorism, and I spent 10 years at the CIA working as an undercover operations officer. I know what it takes to defeat terrorist organizations. The next thing is, I think Americans are struggling, many of them, with stagnant wages. In my time in the private sector I learned what companies needed to thrive in the global marketplace, and I bring that experience too.
RG: The "Never Trump" contingent of the Republican Party have tried to draft other candidates, unsuccessfully. So how did they persuade you?
EM: They didn't make an argument to me, this was a decision I made on my own. I have been so frustrated, so concerned by the direction of this country and also by this election, as many millions of Americans have been ... We are entering this election to win. That is what we are driving towards. And yes, it's the last possible minute by which that can happen. But I wish someone had done exactly this six months ago or earlier. But no one did. And I believe it's never too late to do the right thing.
For more on this story, listen to our full interview with Evan McMullin.