Former CIA agent Evan McMullin is preparing to launch an independent presidential run in an effort to stop Donald Trump.
“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,” McMullin said in a statement to ABC News. “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 conservative choice for President.”
Prominent members of the Republican anti-Trump movement are involved with McMullin’s potential campaign, according to BuzzFeed. The potential Independent candidate only has 4,124 followers on his unverified Twitter account.
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McMullin, who has attacked Trump on social media, has never held elected office and spent the majority of his career in the CIA, according to the site. He is unmarried and is currently the chief policy director of the House Republican conference.
“As Donald Trump continues attacking Muslims and as a former CIA officer, I’d like all Americans to know the truth: American and other Muslims have played a central role in virtually every counterterrorism win we’ve had since 9/11. They are an indispensable asset in this fight. Attacking them as a group makes America weaker, not stronger,” McMullin wrote on Facebook recently.
MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough has tweeted that “multiple sources” tell him that McMullin will run.
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McMullin is a Wharton graduate and also spent time at Goldman Sachs. BuzzFeed said that he could file the paperwork as early as Monday afternoon. Trump had a rough few days last week and 70 percent of key Republican insiders want Donald Trump to drop out of the presidential race, according to Politico.
The news comes after a stretch in which the GOP nominee attacked Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the parents of fallen Muslim-American Iraq War hero Humayun Khan, who appeared at the Democratic Convention to criticize the GOP nominee’s proposed ban on Muslims entering the U.S. Shortly after, nude photos of Trump’s wife, Melania, leaked online, and he was also ripped for kicking a crying baby out of a campaign rally.
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In addition, Trump refused to endorse Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan for re-election, but then did endorse him, and said he always wanted to receive a Purple Heart but felt it was “much easier” to be given one by a supporter than to be wounded in battle.
Check out some of McMullin’s anti-Trump tweets.
Authoritarians like @realDonaldTrump use promises of law & order to justify infringing on civil rights as they consolidate control by force.
— Evan McMullin (@Evan_McMullin) July 22, 2016
Americans deserve to see @realDonaldTrump's tax returns immediately. If he won't be transparent on this, how could we trust his presidency?
— Evan McMullin (@Evan_McMullin) May 11, 2016
Opposing @realDonaldTrump is about putting principle over power, a virtue some in Washington are too quick to abandon. #NeverTrump
— Evan McMullin (@Evan_McMullin) May 7, 2016
17 Billionaires and Celebrities Who Could Run for President in 2020 (Photos)
Donald Trump’s successful presidential campaign will probably motivate other billionaires and celebrities to run for office in 2020. From Mark Cuban offering to be Hillary Clinton’s running mate to Kanye West declaring early, here are 14 potential candidates.
Billionaire entrepreneur and "Shark Tank" star Mark Cuban was reportedly courted by anti-Donald Trump conservatives as an alternative candidate in 2016.
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Starbucks CEO and chairman Howard Schultz, who considered a run for the 2016 Democratic nomination, has a rags-to-riches story that could win over the American public.
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Kanye West announced his candidacy for the 2020 at last year’s MTV Video Music Awards. We have no idea if he's serious.
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Former wrestling star and actor Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson is a Republican who recently tweeted about running for office.
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Brian Bowen Smith
George Clooney could emerge as the Democratic version of Ronald Reagan.
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Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg hinted at a potential run in 2016, but 2020 could end up being a better fit.
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Former WWE star Jesse Ventura was governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003 and has hinted at a presidential bid.
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Angelina Jolie once said she’s “open” to a career in politics. She also told Vanity Fair, “If you really want to make an extreme change, then you have a responsibility.”
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Former NFL star and current Denver Broncos executive John Elway is a Republican with the fan base and speaking ability to make an impact in politics.
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Howard Stern ran in New York’s gubernatorial race back in 1994. Trump's success proves anything is possible.
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Tim McGraw is a longtime Democrat who once told Esquire magazine he could run in a Tennessee Senate or gubernatorial race. Maybe by 2020 he'll be ready for a bigger prize.
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Oprah Winfrey has denied interest in the past but deserves a spot on this list because she's asked about running so often.
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Ben Affleck might be busy with the Batman and DC Comics franchise, but he's another famous actor who has floated the idea of a second career in politics.
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Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos recently said that Donald Trump does not act appropriately for a presidential candidate. Maybe Bezos will show us how it's done.
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Leonardo DiCaprio recently used his Oscar speech to make a political statement on climate change.
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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made it clear that his company wants to appear fair to conservatives. Could he be setting things up to appeal to both sides of the aisle?
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Ivanka Trump could potentially give conservatives a 16-year stretch of Trumps in the White House.
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Donald Trump’s successful presidential campaign might motivate other billionaires and celebrities to run for office in 2020
Donald Trump’s successful presidential campaign will probably motivate other billionaires and celebrities to run for office in 2020. From Mark Cuban offering to be Hillary Clinton’s running mate to Kanye West declaring early, here are 14 potential candidates.
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