Anti-Trump conservative Evan McMullin jumps into race

Former CIA counterterrorism officer and ex-House Republican Conference policy director Evan McMullin formally announced his candidacy for president Wednesday night in Utah.

McMullin's longshot bid is the latest hope, albeit a far-fetched one, by anti-Trump conservatives to prop up a Republican alternative in the 2016 election.


But McMullin's hurdles stretch beyond just name recognition. He's already missed over two dozen filing deadlines to get on ballots across the country and his independent conservative candidacy is little-known, even among some of the most tapped-in insiders in Washington.

McMullin, in his speech before a small crowd in Salt Lake City, still suggested that his quixotic bid was picking up steam.

"Google told me that more people were searching for my name than the Donald's," McMullin said in announcing his candidacy, sparking cheers from the small crowd at his announcement speech.

McMullin also said his campaign already has had 60,000 volunteers across the country sign up for his campaign.

McMullin didn't shape his speech around Hillary Clinton or Trump but he did repeatedly offer veiled jabs at the Republican nominee for president.

"We know that we can defeat Islamist terrorism without violating our ideals, indeed we must," McMullin said. "These ideals, these American ideals."

McMullin also acknowledged that his campaign would have to be creative to be at all serious.

"There is much work to be done in the next few months. ours will be an unconventional campaign for sure. And it will take the hearts and minds of many for success," McMullin said.