Republican evan mcmullin launch presidential run trump

You're referring to Evan McMullin, the independent conservative candidate who launched a presidential run in 2016 as a third-party candidate, challenging both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

Evan McMullin is a former CIA operative and a conservative who was born in Utah. He was a Republican until 2016, when he became disillusioned with the party's leadership and the candidacy of Donald Trump. McMullin was particularly concerned about Trump's character, temperament, and policy positions, which he believed were not in line with conservative values.

On August 8, 2016, McMullin announced his candidacy for president, running as an independent candidate. He was joined by a running mate, Mindy Finn, a conservative commentator and former Republican strategist. McMullin's campaign focused on issues such as national security, fiscal responsibility, and social conservatism.

Although McMullin's candidacy was not widely supported by the Republican Party or the Democratic Party, he did receive some endorsements from prominent conservatives, including former Republican Senator Tom Coburn and former CIA Director Michael Hayden. McMullin also received some support from libertarians and independents who were dissatisfied with the major party candidates.

On Election Day, November 8, 2016, McMullin received 731,811 votes, or about 0.5% of the total votes cast. While this was not enough to win the presidency, McMullin's candidacy did help to siphon off some votes from Trump, potentially contributing to Trump's narrow loss in the Electoral College.

After the election, McMullin continued to be involved in politics, serving as the chairman of the Independent National Security Alliance and writing op-eds and articles on national security and foreign policy issues. He has also been a vocal critic of Trump's foreign policy and national security decisions.