(CNN) Former independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin said Thursday President Donald Trump and his chief strategist's attacks on the media are "highly dangerous" and authoritarian-like.

In an interview with The New York Times, Trump adviser Steve Bannon labeled the media as "the opposition party" and said it should "be embarrassed" and "keep its mouth shut."

"I think Mr. Bannon and Mr. Trump's attacks on the media are highly dangerous. The media, the press, plays a significant role in our democracy, and in any democracy they are highly critical. You can have disputes and disagreements over bias and even over points of fact; but to continually attack and try to erode the credibility of the media when it's doing its job, and doing its job well I would say, in the past week especially, challenging Trump, I think is dangerous," McMullin told CNN's Jake Tapper on "The Lead."

.@Evan_McMullin: Trump's attacks on the media are what leaders with authoritarian tendencies do https://t.co/pLDOsvAiiY — The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) January 26, 2017

McMullin, who is conservative, fought the notion that battling the press is a partisan issue.

"This isn't a Republican, Democrat, conservative, liberal, or progressive sort-of-issue. Our freedom of the press and the importance of the press in our system, and the importance of the constitution, the importance of truth for heaven sakes in democracy and in our republic, are issues that should be bipartisan or nonpartisan," he said. "These are things that we should all be able to rally around and protect as Americans."

Read More