Write-in candidate Evan McMullin admits his purpose in running for president is to prevent Donald Trump from winning. McMullin acknowledged his strategy is "not conventional" and the goal is not to win 270 electoral votes. The write-in candidate said he hopes the race is a close one because he wants to play spoiler and stop the authoritarian candidate from taking power, Donald Trump.



"We're not trying to win 270 votes," McMullin said bluntly. "What we're trying to do is earn enough electoral votes to block Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump if the race between both of them is so close that we are able to do that by winning 1 or 2 states."



"We will be happy to have prevented someone who I believe is a true authoritarian from taking power in the United States and that's Donald Trump," McMullin added.





QUESTION: How many states are you going to be on the ballot would you say?



EVAN MCMULLIN: Right now we're either on the ballot or registered as a write-in in 34 states. By the time we get to November 8th it will be 40 to 45. And that's plenty for our strategy which is not a conventional strategy. We're not trying to win 270 votes. Of course that would be great but it's just not going to happen, his is a three-month presidential campaign.



So, what we're trying to do is earn enough electoral votes to block Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump if the race between both of them is so close that we are able to do that by winning 1 or 2 states. So, that's the idea. But if not that then we will be happy to have prevented someone who I believe is a true authoritarian from taking power in the United States and that's Donald Trump.