Independent presidential hopeful Evan McMullin insists he didn't launch his long-shot bid for the White House to take votes from Republican nominee Donald Trump, or to help Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, but because he believes that Trump is "ensuring that she's going to be elected."
"Just as the American Revolution required men and women devoted to liberty and freedom to stand up and be counted, this moment calls a new generation to the same sacred task," McMullin, a former Republican policy adviser in the House of Representatives, declared last week in a statement announcing his campaign. The 40-year-old has already won a place on the Colorado ballot in November and has said he has support in Minnesota and Utah.
In an interview with The Christian Post, the former Central Intelligence Agency officer defended his choice to run, talked about some of the beliefs that shape his policy views and called on Trump to drop out.
"I am an originalist, to begin with. So, I am a constitutional conservative," McMullin said. "I believe that the Constitution enshrines some universal ideals that make our country strong and that are consistent with truth and so that's the basic thing. But then I am also looking for some judges who are pro-life, for example. Really, I am looking for originalists."
"We need to take some steps to defend religious liberty," he said, responding to the legalization of same-sex marriage. "Religious liberty is under threat not just from that decision but from Obamacare and the decisions associated with that."
McMullin, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, thinks we need to put aside religious differences "and work together in order to protect our religious liberties."
He denied his candidacy will diminish support for Trump and help Clinton win on Nov. 8, pointing to polls showing the GOP nominee losing by widening margins.
"I entered the race about a week ago, and Donald Trump is already losing by 10 percent," McMullin said when asked to respond to those who think he's handing the race to Clinton. "And just a couple of days ago, more polls came out for key swing states which had him down by 9, 10, 12 or more percent.
"Donald Trump is going to lose this race. I actually believe that he should step out of the race now. It's clear he can't compete with Hillary Clinton. He's ensuring that she's going to be elected," McMullin said.
"He is a man who has alienated all kinds of religions and races and ethnicities across this country. We are just too diverse of a country for a guy like that with these bigoted ideas to succeed in a general election," he said about Trump.
"He cannot win and he needs to step out."
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