Cooper Allen

USA TODAY

Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson has his sights set on qualifying for the first presidential debate on Sept. 26 in Hempstead, N.Y., but in an interview with Fox News Sunday, he made clear he thinks he can do much more than that in this unpredictable campaign.

As his interview wrapped up, Johnson told host Chris Wallace: "You know how crazy this election cycle is. I might be the next president. You know that, right?"

Few would argue with the former New Mexico governor's assessment of the election, but his path to the White House is a steep one nonetheless — to say the least. In the most recent rolling average of polls from RealClearPolitics, Johnson is at 8%, well behind Democrat Hillary Clinton at 42% and Republican Donald Trump at 38%. Green Party candidate Jill Stein is at 3%.

Johnson acknowledges his hopes ride on qualifying for the opening debate. The Commission on Presidential Debates requires a candidate have an average of 15% support in a selection of five national polls to make the debate stage.

Asked by Wallace whether it was "game over" if he didn't qualify, Johnson said, "Yes, I would say game over."