Evan McMullin, a CIA veteran and chief policy director of the House Republican conference, announced Monday that he's launching an independent presidential bid.

"Like millions of Americans, I had hoped this year would bring us better nominees who, despite party differences, could offer compelling visions of a better future," McMullin wrote in a statement on his campaign website. "Instead, we have been left with two candidates who are fundamentally unfit for the profound responsibilities they seek."



BuzzFeed News first reported McMullin's plans Monday morning.

McMullin's campaign will have the support of key players in the GOP's anti-Trump movement, including veteran Republican strategist Rick Wilson, who has been an outspoken Trump critic. Sources said McMullin is also being backed by a group called Better for America, which has been working to gain ballot access for an independent candidate.

McMullin is an unlikely presidential candidate. He has never held elective office before and has spent most of his career as a CIA officer. Young and unmarried, McMullin received an MBA at Wharton in 2011, and after a stint at Goldman Sachs, went to work as a policy wonk on Capitol Hill.



Though McMullin's announcement included some bipartisan appeals to disaffected voters in both parties, he made clear he would be running as a conservative.

"Millions of Americans are not being represented by either of these candidates," he wrote, pitching himself to voters who were concerned about "the strength of the military" and "limited, Constitutional government."

He also signaled his pro-life beliefs, writing, "Those who embrace the dignity and value of every human life from conception until death ... are all looking for something better than the two major party candidates are offering."