Independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin said Donald Trump's divisive rhetoric is to blame for supporters of the GOP nominee threatening the life of the Utah Republican.

McMullin told CNN on Tuesday evening that Trump's supporters have "attacked" his military service, his family and his Mormon faith. The former House Republican staffer said he has "even received some death threats from these white supremacists," including some Monday night.

A day earlier, William Johnson, a Utah resident who identified himself as a farmer and white supremacist, launched a statewide robocall campaign. In the call, Johnson blasts McMullin as an "open borders, amnesty supporter" who has "two mommies" and is a "closet homosexual."

But McMullin said he was not surprised by the attacks, as he leads Trump by 6 points in the state, where Mormon voters could be turned off by accusations that McMullin is gay.

"Donald Trump himself has bragged about sexually assaulting women and attacked people for the color of their skin and their faith," McMullin said. "I mean, this is the Republican nominee and none of this should surprise any of us. This is exactly the narrative and the approach that the Donald Trump campaign has had ... I just thought, well of course, this is more of the same."