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  • - When Andrew Yang started running for president

  • no one cared, but then when they found out

  • he was gonna give out free money,

  • all of a sudden everyone knew his name.

  • (crowd laughs) (upbeat music)

  • So, who is Andrew Yang?

  • Other than the man debate moderators turn to

  • when they're sick of being yelled at by Bernie,

  • it turns out he's got a pretty interesting story.

  • - [Reporter] His parents immigrated from Taiwan.

  • His father, a physicist.

  • His mother has a master's in math and statistics.

  • Yang grew up in Schenectady, New York.

  • - [Andrew] I was a very nerdy, Chinese kid.

  • I played piano, and had braces.

  • - [Reporter] He studied economics,

  • and political science at Brown,

  • and went to law school at Columbia.

  • - [Reporter] Yang made millions

  • helping Americans study harder for standardized tests,

  • as CEO of Manhattan Prep.

  • He then founded Venture for America,

  • an organization helping entrepreneurs create jobs

  • in cities like Baltimore, and Detroit,

  • and Yang says it helped push him into politics.

  • - [Reporter] He was named

  • a Presidential Ambassador of Entrepreneurship

  • by the Obama administration,

  • and a champion of change.

  • - Okay wait, what?

  • I didn't know that.

  • Yang was Obama's Ambassador of Entrepreneurship?

  • I didn't know that.

  • Why does he never talk about that at the debates?

  • Yeah, 'cause if you have anything to do with Obama,

  • you gotta bring that shit up every time you got a chance.

  • (crowd laughs)

  • Every other candidate does it.

  • I was his vice president.

  • I worked in his cabinet.

  • If you squint, I kind of look like him.

  • (crowd laughs)

  • So Andrew Yang, is a lawyer,

  • who made millions of dollars as an entrepreneur,

  • but what got his presidential campaign noticed,

  • was not how much money he has,

  • but how much money he was willing to give away.

  • - [Reporter] He announced in 2017.

  • That barely moved the needle.

  • Then he went on "The Joe Rogan Experience"

  • in February of 2019.

  • He talked about his universal basic income plan,

  • which would give every American citizen $1,000 a month,

  • and suddenly the mentions of him skyrocketed.

  • - Tonight, free money for every American adult

  • for every month, no strings attached.

  • Presidential candidate Andrew Yang's big idea?

  • Give every American adult $1,000 a month.

  • - If you've heard anything about me and my campaign,

  • you've heard something like this,

  • there's an Asian man running for president,

  • who wants to give everyone $1,000 a month.

  • - Under universal basic income, or as Andrew Yang calls it,

  • the Freedom Dividend.

  • His proposal is that every single American,

  • over the age of 18,

  • would receive a check for $1,000, every month,

  • no strings attached.

  • Every American.

  • Even Bill Gates, yeah. (crowd laughs)

  • And like, what is Bill Gates gonna do

  • with a check for $1,000?

  • Just be like, "Great, I can dip this in water

  • "and use it as a wet nap.

  • "Thank you U.S. Government, thank you."

  • (crowd laughs)

  • So, that's the policy that made Andrew Yang famous.

  • And it turns out, there's a lot more where that came from.

  • - [Reporter] No other Democratic candidate

  • has more policy stances on their website than Yang.

  • From core issues like the Freedom Dividend,

  • to more obscure ones targeting airlines, and robocalling.

  • Some of his other policy proposals?

  • Medicare for all, gun safety

  • and even free marriage counseling for all.

  • - [Reporter] Yang says that,

  • he would pardon every prison inmate

  • convicted of nonviolent marijuana offenses

  • if he gets elected.

  • - And Andrew Yang says that if he were elected,

  • he would promote transparency, by declassifying information

  • about Air Force Area 51.

  • - So, if I become privy to information about aliens,

  • or Area 51 or anything that I am able to share,

  • I will share it.

  • - Ah, okay...

  • (audience laughs)

  • - That's super exciting.

  • If Andrew Yang becomes president, he's gonna tell all of us

  • what's in Area 51?

  • That is so dope! (crowd cheers)

  • That is so dope because we get to learn about aliens,

  • and Rudy Giuliani gets to meet his family.

  • Wow, everybody wins. (crowd cheers)

  • So, that's Andrew Yang.

  • A businessman, turned politician,

  • who wants to show us the money, and the aliens.

  • Oh, and there's one other thing you should know about him.

  • He's probably gonna to spend his $1,000 a month

  • on the swear jar.

  • - If Donald Trump's the scissors, I'm the (beep) rock.

  • There's a lot of bullshit around it too.

  • I call bullshit!

  • And I should really (beep) do it.

  • That's right, I did some (beep) math.

  • (beep)

  • Shit. (beep)

  • Challenge (beep) accepted.

  • You are getting (beep),

  • and so because you're getting (beep),

  • you're just like, "Hey, I don't want to care.",

  • and I wanna undo that.

  • I want to (beep) you. (crowd laughs)

  • And so if you want to help me (beep) you,

  • then vote me into office.

  • - What?

  • I want to (beep) you?

  • I gotta say, that's a weird presidential pitch,

  • but it would make a really original R&B song you know.

  • It's like,

  • If I had known your bed was a mattress on the ground boy

  • Ooh I want to (beep) you

  • (crowd laughs) But yeah it turns out,

  • Andrew Yang doesn't just have tons of policies,

  • he has a ton of curse words.

  • And you know what?

  • That could actually be the key

  • to getting him more attention at these debates.

  • Yeah, think about it.

  • Trump didn't get on stage

  • and release a bunch of policy papers.

  • No, he went up there and he said he had a big penis,

  • and if Americans voted for him,

  • the rest of us would have big penis's too,

  • (crowd laughs)

  • and Mexico would pay for them.

  • (crowd laughs)

  • So Andrew Yang, if you want more media attention,

  • you gotta take it man.

  • The next time you get up on that stage,

  • make your six minutes count.

  • Just come out on stage and be like,

  • "Elect me and I'll make it rain every (beep) month.

  • "Universal Basic Income for all you universal basic bitches.

  • "This shit's gonna work and you can trust my ass

  • "'cause I rolled with Barack (beep) Obama."

  • (crowd cheers) (crowd laughs)

  • - The 2020 presidential campaign.

  • Like my afternoon poop, it's not quite here yet,

  • but I can already feel it.

  • Out of all the candidates

  • there's only one I can see myself in.

  • - I'm Andrew Yang

  • and I'm running for president as a Democrat in 2020.

  • - He's a successful business man,

  • and I don't know if it's the cut of his suits,

  • or the way he lights up a room,

  • but there's just something about this guy,

  • that makes me want to vote for him based on zero research.

  • Okay, so you're Asian.

  • You're running for president.

  • What else is there to know? (crowd laughs)

  • - My platform.

  • - Right, I thought your platform was being Asian.

  • (crowd laughs)

  • - There are many, many other Americans who care more about

  • my stance on the issues, than frankly, what my race is.

  • - Which is?

  • - Asian.

  • - Yes, and that's all we need to know here.

  • Okay, let's wrap this up.

  • (mellow music)

  • - You know, I think we should discuss my platform.

  • - If you want to talk about what you believe, or whatever,

  • go for it.

  • I'm gonna edit all this out by the way.

  • - I believe that every American adult, at the age of 18,

  • should get $1,000 a month,

  • free and clear from the government,

  • to do whatever they want.

  • - For working hard, right?

  • - Well, for being a citizen of this great country.

  • - As his ads show, Yang is all about universal basic income.

  • The idea that the government

  • should give everyone a monthly check,

  • even if they're not working.

  • You can't just give people free money.

  • That's the only reason people work.

  • If I was getting paid without having to work.

  • (crowd laughs)

  • - You can't quit your job on $12,000 a year.

  • It would make it so American's can transition

  • as technology is eating away many, many jobs.

  • Artificial intelligence is around the corner.

  • - Oh my god.

  • Artificial intelligence, robots,

  • that's your thing?

  • - Yes.

  • - Dude, you are making it so hard to blindly vote

  • on identity politics right now.

  • - Projections are that about 44% of American jobs

  • are subject to automation.

  • Self driving cars and trucks

  • are going to displace five million Americans

  • who drive for a living.

  • - Shit.

  • - It's going to displace

  • hundreds of thousands of book keepers,

  • lawyers, and on and on.

  • - [Ronny] According to Yang,

  • everyone but me should get ready to be replaced.

  • So if Andrew Yang

  • is going to stand a chance in this election,

  • he's gonna have to learn what really excites today's voters.

  • - If we had a value added tax

  • at even half the European level, we can--

  • - You're using all these numbers, and all this nerd shit.

  • Listen, there's only one thing

  • that wins election in America.

  • That's fear, and hate.

  • - That's two things. (crowd laughs)

  • - Okay again, with the numbers.

  • People are jobless, angry,

  • and ready to blame their problems on other race.

  • And robots are the one race it's okay to hate.

  • - Yeah well, robots aren't a race for one.

  • - Good, deny their humanity.

  • That's a great first step. (crowd laughs)

  • Next time you campaign, I want you to go out and say,

  • "Robots are causing all the robot crime in robot Chicago."

  • - But there is no robot Chicago.

  • - It doesn't matter, we're not talking about truth.

  • We're talking about hate, and fear,

  • and getting in power,

  • for Asian people, (crowd laughs)

  • and getting revenge on every single person,

  • whoever said we weren't good enough.

  • - I'm for none of those things.

  • - Good thing I'm here to help you out.

  • So, this is an ad we prepared for your campaign.

  • - Andrew Yang knows America is being invaded,

  • by robots.

  • They're sneaking across the border,

  • taking the jobs we love, (crowd laughs)

  • and imposing their same-sex robot sharia law.

  • Andrew Yang will stop the robots from banging your wife,

  • and becoming your son's new dad.

  • Yang, 2020.

  • You will not replace us.

  • What do you think?

  • - It's kind of the opposite of where we need to go.

  • - So you do not approve this message?

  • - No, I do not approve this message.

  • - You do not what?

  • Sorry, I missed that.

  • - Approve this message.

  • - And what is your name again?

  • - I'm Andrew Yang.

  • - [Ronny] Yang 2020,

  • (beep) the robots,

  • (beep) them to hell.

  • - I'm Andrew Yang and I approve this message.

  • (crowd laughs)

  • - Presidential candidate Andrew Yang,

  • is currently polling in sixth place.

  • (crowd cheers)

  • But you wouldn't know it from the media coverage he gets.

  • In fact, Yang only ranks 13th in cable news mentions,

  • which probably explains why he has to get attention

  • with stunts like this.

  • - A Democratic presidential candidate

  • is taking his campaign to new heights, literally.

  • Check this out.

  • Andrew Yang does crowd surfing.

  • - [Crowd] Andrew Yang, Andrew Yang!

  • (crowd cheers)

  • - The business man,

  • turned 2020 candidate speaking at a forum

  • organized by Asian American activist groups,

  • when he was hoisted into the air,

  • he tweeted out the video writing,

  • "Haven't crowd surfed in a while #yanggang."

  • - Yeah! (crowd laughs)

  • Yin-yang, Andrew Yang is crowd surfing,

  • and I know it looks fun,

  • but for a politician that's really risky.

  • 'Cause you're making so many people grab your ass.

  • That's a scandal waiting to happen.

  • Yeah, you basically have to get permission individually,

  • with every single person that you go past.

  • This is gonna be like the slowest crowd surf ever.

  • He'd be like, "Do you consent to my ass?

  • "Do you consent to my ass?

  • "Okay, do you consent to my ass?

  • "Do you consent to my ass?

  • "Thank you, thank you."

  • But you realize now that Yang has done it,

  • I bet other candidates

  • are also gonna try and be cool, and crowd surf,

  • which is gonna be awkward for people like Bill de Blasio

  • who only have one supporter.

  • (crowd laughs)

  • And I've got to hand it to Andrew Yang.

  • He's not getting a ton of media coverage,

  • so he's out there getting that attention for himself,

  • crowd surfing, playing basket ball, doing the Cupid Shuffle.

  • (crowd laughs) Only problem is,

  • Andrew you realize,

  • you're gonna have to keep escalating your stunts.

  • At this rate in six months,

  • he's gonna have to go full Tom Cruise.

  • - My flagship proposal to Freedom Dividend

  • (crowd laughs) would put $1,000 a month

  • into the hands of every American adult.

  • It would be a game changer

  • for millions of American families.

  • (crowd laughs)

  • - Of all the candidates I've seen on the trail,

  • you seem to be having the most fun, are you?

  • - Well it's a very low bar you've set Trevor.

  • (crowd laughs)

  • - What do you say to American workers who go,

  • "Hey, I don't have a job, and I want to change this."?

  • - That's exactly right.

  • Amazon right now

  • is closing 30% of America's stores and malls,

  • and paying zero in taxes.

  • So what we do is we set up a mechanism,

  • where the American people get our fair share

  • of every Amazon sale, every Google search,

  • every robot truck mile,

  • and put a dividend into American's hands of $1,000 a month.

  • The Freedom Dividend would help all American's feel like

  • we're benefiting from all of the progress and innovation.

  • - That's an interesting and--

  • (crowd cheers)

  • - Yeah, you like that.

  • - Yeah, a lot of people like that.

  • Because I mean it takes guts to come out and say,

  • "My plan is that

  • "we will give every single American $1,000 a month

  • "just for being here." (crowd laughs)

  • - Yeah, it's like Monopoly but instead of passing go,

  • it's the first of the month.

  • - You just get, yeah, but now here's the thing.

  • I don't know if you've played Monopoly.

  • It always ends in tears.

  • (crowd laughs)

  • And that's what people are saying would happen

  • if you gave people universal basic income.

  • You know yes, the smaller countries have trialed it,

  • but they have found,

  • for instance in some Scandinavian countries,

  • that then people don't work enough,

  • or they don't want to work.

  • They lose ambition.

  • There is a negative effect to that.

  • How do you pay for it and how do you ensure

  • that it doesn't mean people

  • just don't contribute to society.

  • - Well when I've looked at all of the studies

  • as to what happened when people got money,

  • only two groups worked less.

  • New mothers who spend more time with their children,

  • and teenagers who spend more time in school,

  • and graduate at higher levels.

  • I don't think anyone here

  • has a problem with either of those things.

  • (audience cheers)

  • - And then how do you pay for it?

  • - And the way you pay for it,

  • again if you have a trillion dollar tech company like Amazon

  • paying zero in taxes,

  • then of course you're gonna look around and be like,

  • where is the money going?

  • Where is the money going? - Right.

  • - But if you give the American people a slice,

  • of every Amazon sale, every AI driven interaction,

  • - Yes. - just a sliver,

  • because the amount of value that that technology's

  • going to generate can literally be measured

  • in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

  • We have to put ourselves in a position to benefit,

  • and then we can pay for a dividend of $1,000 a month.

  • - One of my favorite quotes that you said was,

  • you said you are the complete opposite of Donald Trump.

  • And the reason was,

  • - Because he-- (crowd cheers)

  • Thank you.

  • - We'll listen to the reason why.

  • - Because the opposite of Donald Trump,

  • is an Asian man who likes math.

  • (crowd cheers)

  • (upbeat melody)

- When Andrew Yang started running for president

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