6 Things to Know About Prospective Third-Party Candidate David French
Learn about the man whose name has been floated as a third-party candidate.
— -- “Just a heads up over this holiday weekend: There will be an independent candidate - -an impressive one, with a strong team and a real chance,” “Weekly Standard” editor Bill Kristol teased ahead of Memorial Day.
Then yesterday, Kristol revealed on Bloomberg Politics’ “With All Due Respect“ that he hoped the white knight candidate who could provide voters with an alternative to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton would be David French.
French is a staff writer for the National Review who holds conservative views and has never held or ran for political office.
But there’s more to know about David French, the man whose name has been floated for a independent candidacy:
His Wife Lived With the Palins
French’s hometown is Lexington, Kentucky. He now lives and works in Columbia, Tennessee, with his wife, Nancy, and their three children -- Camille, Austin and their adopted daughter Naomi.
Nancy was the ghostwriter for the memoir of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s daughter, Bristol. According to Politico, Mrs. French moved from Tennessee to Alaska to live with the Palins for a month.
In the Frenches' book that they co-authored, “Home and Away: A Story of Family in a Time of War,” Nancy shared that they met in Nashville and married within months of meeting each other.
French and his family are members of the Presbyterian Church in America.
He’s an Iraq Veteran
French served in the U.S. Army Reserve for eight years, from April 2006 to April 2014, entering in as a first lieutenant and then later being promoted to a major. French was deployed to Iraq in 2007 for nearly a year.
He was awarded the Bronze Star, among other accolades, for his service.
In “Home and Away,” French wrote he was inspired at 37 to serve in the Army after reading a New York Times article about a family man who was wounded in Iraq.
“How was he different from me?” French wrote of his decision. “Why was it right for him to sacrifice and not me?”
He’s a Constitutional Law Attorney and Author
Before he enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve, French was a constitutional law attorney.
He got his degree at Harvard Law School and also had a career teaching at Cornell Law School.
When he was stationed in Iraq, he served as squadron judge advocate.
Besides writing for the National Review, French was a contributor to the book “Rise of ISIS: A Threat We Can’t Ignore.”
He's a 'Game of Thrones' Fan
Based on a few of his National Review articles, it seems that French both watches the popular HBO show “Game of Thrones” and has read the books the series is based on by George R. R. Martin.
“Good fiction can be a window into reality, and 'Game of Thrones' is very good fiction indeed,” French wrote of the show in an article posted in May.
He's Critical of Trump
In just one example of his criticism of Trump, French titled an article of his “15 Reasons Trump Is a Liberal -- and a Lunatic Conspiracy Theorist.”
“Conservatives can’t trust Donald Trump,” French argued. “One day he’ll boast of his commitment to the First Amendment and unborn children; the next day he either embarrasses the pro-life movement ... or signals his disregard for fundamental conservative principles.”
He Has His Own Thoughts About a Third-Party Candidacy
French and his wife were supporters of Mitt Romney in 2008 and in 2012. And again this election, French wrote an article in May titled “Mitt Romney, Run for President.”
French argued Romney is “the only man who can save us from future calamity” and leaving the race to Clinton and Trump “is to guarantee a terrible presidency marked by incompetence and cronyism.”
“There is just one hope -- however slim -- of avoiding this national disaster: America needs a third option,” French wrote.
In considering Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson as a viable candidate, French said Johnson has “serious credentials” and “more executive experience than either Clinton or Trump.”
However, French wrote of Johnson’s candidacy: “You won’t win, but you can matter.”
ABC News reached out to French for comment, but he did not immediately respond.
ABC News' Luis Martinez contributed to this report.
Related Stories
ABC News Live