Conservatives are taking a second look at Evan McMullin, the former CIA operative and independent presidential candidate. We sit down with him.

In this Aug. 27, 2016 file photo, independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin, participates in a staff meeting near Salt Lake City. (Rick Bowmer/AP)

What an election season. Donald Trump now talking vote-rigging and conspiracy if he doesn’t win. Hitting the anger button hard. And in Utah, the state that went most Republican in 2012, a lot of voters saying no thanks. A young Mormon conservative, former CIA operative and foreign policy adviser. Evan McMullin has thrown his hat in the ring as an independent alternative. He’s got traction. Even a wild longshot chance at the White House. This hour On Point, presidential contender Evan McMullin. — Tom Ashbrook

Guests

Nathan Gonzales, editor and publisher of the Rothenberg and Gonzales Political Report. (@nathanlgonzales)

Daniel Strauss, reporter for POLITICO covering the 2016 presidential race. (@DanielStrauss4)

Evan McMullin, independent conservative candidate for President. Former CIA operative and former House GOP Chief Policy Director. (@Evan_McMullin)

From Tom’s Reading List

Rothenberg & Gonzaels Political Report: Republicans’ Agonizing Wait for Latest Diagnosis — "In terms of election analysis, it’s important to separate Trump’s fate from down-ballot Republicans’ fate. Of course Democrats want you to believe that they are one and the same, and in the end, they might be. But up to this point in the cycle, there hasn’t been a uniform correlation between Trump and House and Senate Republicans."

FiveThirtyEight: How Evan McMullin Could Win Utah And The Presidency -- "It would take a fascinating scenario — in which much of the technical detail of how we select presidents comes into play — for McMullin to be sworn in as the 45th president, but the chances of its happening are slim, not none. Indeed, his chances of at least making things very interesting may be as high as 1 to 3 percent — about the same as the odds of the Cubs’ coming back to beat the Giants on Monday."

CNN: The conversation Evan McMullin wants to have — "Trump is absolutely aligning himself with our enemies. He is an authoritarian. He has no respect for any check on his power. He has not experienced those checks in his own life. Or when he does experience it, he reacts violently to it. He would leverage our executive authority to deprive us of our own civil rights. He is absolutely one of them."