This Wharton Grad Is Challenging Trump for President

Evan McMullin will run against Donald Trump from the right as an independent conservative. He currently works for the House GOP.

Evan McMullin (left); Donald Trump

Evan McMullin photo via his Twitter; Trump’s also via his Twitter

If you’ve ever heard Donald Trump speak — and this year, how could you not? — the Republican presidential nominee often mentions he went to Wharton.

The school doesn’t really publicize this much, for whatever reason. But soon there will be two Wharton graduates in the presidential race, according to multiple reports.

Evan McMullin, like Trump, has never held elected office. He has worked for the CIA, and is currently the Chief Policy Director for the U.S. House of Representatives Republican Congress. And, unlike Trump, he has a MBA from Wharton — not just an undergraduate degree. (His Twitter bio also says, “Standing up to run for president because it’s never too late to do the right thing.”)

McMullin is anti-Trump Republicans’ latest gambit to prevent Trump from winning the presidency in November. He is expected to announce his candidacy as a third-party conservative today.

As of this morning, McMullin had just 135 followers on Twitter (per Buzzfeed). Now he’s quickly approaching 10,000 (less than Trump’s 10 million, of course). Buzzfeed also reports veteran Republican strategist Rick Wilson will be involved in McMullin’s campaign, as well as “serious Republican donors and fundraisers.”

Republicans who are unsatisfied with Trump coalesced into the Never Trump movement during the primary season, but were unable to prevent his nomination. Now they appear to be attempting to run a third-party candidate. Whether McMullin gains any traction remains to be seen — it will (obviously) be an uphill battle.

Follow @dhm on Twitter.