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MY FIRST GUEST IS A TECH ENTREPRENEUR WHO'S CURRENTLY
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RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.
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PLEASE WELCOME ANDREW YANG!
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( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
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( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )
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>> Stephen: THAT'S NICE.
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I LOVE THE BOUNDING OF THE YOUTHFUL ENERGY.
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CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION?
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I SAW YOU RESPONDING TO THE CROWD RIGHT THERE.
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YOU KNOW HOW TO WORK A CROWD REALLY WELL AND GET PEOPLE
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EXCITED.
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WHEN DID IT FIRST OCCUR TO YOU THAT YOU WANTED TO RUN OR BECOME
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PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES?
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BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST THE OFFICE, IT'S EVERYTHING YOU HAVE
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TO DO WHILE YOU'RE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT THAT ALMOST NOBODY IS
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PREPARED TO DO.
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>> I WOULD NEVER HAVE THOUGHT OF RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT IF DONALD
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TRUMP HAD NOT WON IN 2016.
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( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: WOULD YOU LIKE TO
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TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK HIM?
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FOR INSPIRING YOU?
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>> I'M HAPPY TO THANK HIM FOR KEEPING THAT SEAT WARM LONG
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ENOUGH FOR ME TO COME BEAT HIM IN JUST NINE, TEN MONTHS.
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( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: ALL RIGHT.
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NOW, YOU WEREN'T IN THE DEBATE LAST NIGHT.
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NO NEWS TO YOU BUT TO SOME OF THE PEOPLE OUT THERE.
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WHY WEREN'T YOU IN THE DEBATE?
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>> WELL, WE WERE AT THE RIGHT POLLING THRESHOLD IN THE COUNTRY
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AND THREE OF THE FOUR EARLY STATES.
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THEY JUST DIDN'T RUN ENOUGH POLLS IN THOSE STATES AHEAD OF
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QUALIFICATION.
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>> Stephen: BECAUSE THERE ARE CRITERIA SET BY THE D.N.C. AND
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ITS FUNDRAISING?
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DID YOU MEET THE FUNDRAISING GOAL.
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>> WE BLEW PAST THE FUNDRAISING THRESHOLD BY A COUNTRY MILE A
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FEW WEEKS AGO.
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>> Stephen: BUT YOU DIDN'T MAKE ALL THE THRESHOLDS FOR
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POLLING?
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>> WE WERE THERE IN IOWA AND NATIONWIDE, THEY JUST HADN'T RUN
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POLLS IN THE EARLY STATES FOR A MONTH AND A HALF AND, BECAUSE OF
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THAT, WE JUST RAN OUT OF TIME BEFORE THE DEADLINE.
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>> Stephen: WELL, DOES IT MATTER IF YOU'RE IN THE DEBATE
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OR NOT?
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DOES IT MATTER TO THE YANG GANG?
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( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) OR DOES IT SORT OF JUST INSPIRE
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THE YANG GANG TO WORK HARDER?
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OR DO YOU HAVE TO MOVE BEYOND THE YANG GANG TO THE GENERAL
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UBER GANG OF AMERICA?
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>> THE GANG OF AMERICA.
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>> Stephen: YES.
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WELL, CERTAINLY I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE BEEN ON THE STAGE
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LAST NIGHT, ANY OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IS A
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GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
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>> Stephen: WELL, THERE'S NO BETTER OPPORTUNITY THAN RIGHT
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HERE, RIGHT NOW.
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( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) SO LET ME ASK YOU THE FIRST
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QUESTION THAT WOLF BLITZER ASKED LAST NIGHT.
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THIS IS THE FIRST QUESTION WOLF ASKED LAST NIGHT, WHY ARE YOU
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BEST PREPARED TO BE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF?
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>> I'M BEST PREPARED BECAUSE I'M LASER FOCUSED ON THE REAL
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PROBLEMS TO HAVE THE 21s 21st CENTURY.
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WE HAVE TO SOLVE THOSE PROBLEMS LINING CLIMATE CHANGE,
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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, CYBER SECURITY, AND NOT JUST THE
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PROBLEMS ON OUR PLATE FOR THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS AND
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DECADES.
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>> Stephen: WHAT IS YOUR THRESHOLD FOR MILITARY ACTION?
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IF YOU HAVE AN AC FOR LIKE IRAN IN THE MIDDLE EAST OR SOMEONE
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LIKE SOLEIMANI WHO WAS PLANNING, SPONSORING ATTACKS AGAINST U.S.
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TROOPS IN THE REGION, WHAT'S THE THRESHOLD FOR YOU TO TAKE ACTION
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AGAINST IRAN OR AN INDIVIDUAL SPONSORING THESE ATTACKS?
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>> THERE ARE TWO THINGS HERE STEPHEN.
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NUMBER ONE, 75% OF AMERICANS WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH WAR WITH
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IRAN.
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( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: I CAN UNDERSTAND
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THAT.
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BUT WHAT'S YOUR THRESHOLD FOR ACTION?
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>> SO MY THRESHOLD FOR ACTION IS, NUMBER ONE, THERE HAS TO BE
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A CLEAR VITAL AMERICAN NATIONAL INTEREST AT STAKE OR THE ABILITY
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TO AVERT A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.
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NUMBER TWO, THERE NEEDS TO BE A CLEARLY DEFINED TIME LINE WHERE
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WE CAN BRING OUR TROOPS BACK AND, NUMBER THREE, WE NEED TO
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HAVE OUR FRIENDS AND ALLIES WITH US IN THE MISSION.
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IF THOSE THREE THINGS WERE IN PLACE, I WOULD CONSIDER MILITARY
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ACTION.
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THE ATTACK THAT KILLED GENERAL SOLEIMANI WAS DISPROPORTIONATE
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TO ANYTHING THAT CAME BEFORE AND WE DID NOT EVEN CONSULT OUR
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ALLIES AHEAD OF TIME.
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SO I WAS ONE OF THE CANDIDATES WHO SAID IT WAS A MISTAKE AND
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BROUGHT US CLOSER TO A WAR THAT AMERICA DID NOT WANT.
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>> Stephen: THE DEBATE LAST NIGHT, YOU WERE THE ONLY PERSON
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OF COLOR AT THE DECEMBER DEBATE, OKAY, AND YOU LAMENTED THAT AT
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THE TIME.
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IS THAT AN HONOR OR -- >> DISAPPOINTMENT.
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>> Stephen: LAST NIGHT, EVERY CANDIDATE WAS WHITE.
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WHO BEARS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT?
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IS IT THE D.N.C. FOR SETTING THE RULES, OR IS IT THE VOTERS NOT
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RESPONDING TO THE MESSAGE OF THE CANDIDATES WHO HAPPEN TO BE OF
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COLOR?
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>> WELL, WHAT I SAID AT THE DEBATE BEFORE THIS ONE, FEWER
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THAN 5% OF AMERICANS DONATE TO POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS.
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YOU NEED DISPOSABLE INCOME TO CONTRIBUTE TO CAMPAIGNS, AND YOU
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NEED SOME FORM OF SECURITY IN ORDER TO RUN FOR OFFICE.
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SO WHAT HAPPENED ON THE STAGE LAST NIGHT REFLECTS THE
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INEQUITIES AND REALITIES IN OUR ECONOMY.
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WE SHOULD BE MORE CONCERNED WITH CHANGING THOSE REALITIES ON THE
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GROUND AND, IF WE DID THAT, THEN THE STAGE WOULD LOOK VERY, VERY
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DIFFERENT.
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>> Stephen: SO, IN SOME WAYS, IT'S A FINANCIAL --
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( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) -- PRESSURE THAT IS CAUSING
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THIS?
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>> YEAH, CLEARLY, IF YOU HAVE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR WHO ARE
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JUST MAKING ENDS MEET, THEY DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO
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CONTRIBUTE TO CAMPAIGNS AT VERY HIGH LEVELS SO YOU WIND UP WITH
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A STAGE THAT DOES NOT REFLECT THE POPULATION OF THE COUNTRY.
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>> Stephen: YOU KNOW, IF YOU DID NOT GIVE AWAY $1,000 TO
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EVERYBODY, YOU WOULD HAVE A LITTLE MORE CASH TO RUN FOR
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PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
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>> YEAH, I HAVE A VERY UNDERSTANDING WIFE, STEPHEN.
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>> Stephen: WELL, WE HAVE TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK.
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PLEASE DON'T GO AWAY.
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BACK WITH ANDREW YANG.
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WE'LL TALK WITH CNBC'S MIX UP WITH HIM.
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STICK AROUND.
