Gary Johnson in Austin pitches himself as alternative to “two evils”

Gary Johnson in Austin pitches himself as alternative to “two evils”

Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson touted his anti-establishment credentials and took swings at Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton during a rally in downtown Austin on Saturday.

“Does anybody think that come Monday evening after these debates that we’re all going to say, ‘Oh my gosh, our country is in great hands’?” Johnson said to a room of supporters standing shoulder to shoulder, waving posters bearing Johnson’s name. “Nobody is going to think that. This is the situation: You elect Trump or you elect Clinton, is the polarity in Congress going to get any better? No way.”

The rally at the Palm Door on Sabine Street came hours after Johnson sat down for a one-on-one conversation with ABC News’ Matthew Dowd at the Texas Tribune Festival, where Johnson predicted that the November election will be “the demise of the Republican Party” and potentially the country’s two-party system.

Gary Johnson in Austin pitches himself as alternative to “two evils” photo

“I don’t see politics ever being the same again and it’s because the two parties have become so polarized,” Johnson said during the interview.

Johnson, who also ran as the Libertarian candidate for president in 2012, said the electoral system is rigged against third party candidates, pointing to the fact that he was excluded from participating in Monday’s presidential debate.