ADAM: WELCOME BACK TO "CLOSE UP.
ANDREW YANG IS UNLIKE ANY OTHER CANDIDATE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.
HIS BIG PROPOSAL IS UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME, WHAT HE CALLED THE FREEDOM DIVIDEND OF $1000 A MONTH TO EVERY AMERICAN 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER.
HIS GOAL IS TO INFUSE MONEY DIRECTLY INTO COMMUNITIES LIKE THIS ONE, MONTICELLO, IOWA, WHERE THE DOWNTOWN HAS THE BETTER DAYS.
PEOPLE ARE RESPONDING TO THE POLICY, BUT THEY ARE ALSO RESPONING TO THE MAN HIMSELF.
WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE ENTREPRENEUR TURNED CANDIDATE AS HE BARNSTORMS THE STATE ON HIS BUS.
>> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON THE TRAIL IN IOWA.
THIS IS THE YANG BUS.
WE ARE THRILLED TO HAVE YOU HERE, BECAUSE I ALWAYS DO YOU WHERE I’M IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, BUT NEVER WHEN I AM IN IOWA. ADAM: A BIT OF A COGNITIVE DISTANCE FOR FOLKS OUT THERE, BUT YOU WILL BE
ON THE DEBATE STAGE OUT THERE.
THIS IS VERY BIG.
DO YOU FEEL PRESSURE TO DO SOMETHING BIG?
YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN THE MINUTES OF THEIR THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE AND A LOT OF THESE DEBATES.
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WILL HAVE TO THROW SOME ELBOWS TO GET SOME TIME TO SAY SOMETHING ON THESE DEBATES STAGES?
>> PART OF IT IS THE STAGE WILL BE MUCH, MUCH SMALLER THAN ALMOST ANY DEBATE.
I BELIEVE THERE WILL BE SEVEN OF US AND THERE MIGHT EVEN BE FEWER THAN THAT IF SOMEONE DROPS OUT BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
SO I AM GOING TO HAVE TONS OF AIRTIME TO MAKE MY CASE TO THE PEOPLE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE AND AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND I ALSO GILMOUR FREE BECAUSE FRANKLY, MISSING THAT LAST DEBATE MADE ME
FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE I COULD COME BACK AND BE FAIRLY CONFIDENT AND COMFORTABLE AND HUMAN AND NOT REALLY WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE.
ADAM: IOWA IS DIFFERENT, RIGHT?
YOU HAVE THE CAUCUSING HERE, THE VIABILITY.
IF YOU DO NOT REACH VIABILITY IN IOWA, HOW DO YOU SLINGSHOT INTO NEW HAMPSHIRE?
HOW DO YOU NAVIGATE THIS UNIQUE KIND OF SITUATION?
>> WE ARE EXCITED TO GET BACK TO NEW HAMPSHIRE.
I HAVE TO SAY, I FEEL LIKE NEW HAMPSHIRE HAS BEEN THE MOST WELCOME PLACE OF THE CAMPAIGN SINCE DAY ONE, AND I THINK WE ARE GOING TO SHOW OUT ON FEBRUARY 11.
CERTAINLY I THINK WE WILL HAVE A TON OF MOMENTUM COMING FROM IOWA, BUT I THINK NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTERS ARE VERY INDEPENDENT-MINDED AND THEY WILL MAKE THEIR OWN DETERMINATION.
ADAM: AN EMOTIONAL MOMENT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL YESTERDAY, YOU TOOK A LOOK AT THE JOURNEY YOU HAVE BEEN ON.
>> I LOVE IOWA.
CAMPAIGNING HERE THE LAST TWO YEARS HAS BEEN THE CHURNING OF MY LIFE -- JOURNEY OF MY LIFE.
I AM REALLY GLAD YOU ARE GOING TO ALL DETERMINE THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY.
[APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU, ANDREW.
[APPLAUSE] ADAM: DESCRIBE WHAT HIT YOU THERE?
>> PART OF IT HAS BEEN MY FAMILY HAS BEEN ON THE ROAD WITH ME IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND IOWA.
I DID NOT DO MY BOY THAT MUCH AS I WANTED TO WHILE THEY WERE HERE IN THE STATE, BUT THEY WERE CAMPAIGNING FOR THE BETTER PART OF TWO YEARS, THAT PERIOD WAS COMING TO AN END AND I THOUGHT
ABOUT EVERYTHING THIS CAMPAIGN HAS MEANT TO ME AND MY FAMILY, HOW KIND PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TO US IN IOWA AND NEW HAMPSHIRE, AND ALL THAT WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH, ALL THAT I HAVE LEARNED, ALL THE
PEOPLE I TALKED TO -- IT WAS JUST A REAL EMOTIONAL MOMENT, BECAUSE THERE IS A VERY HUMAN PROCESS.
YOU’RE TALKING TO THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS ABOUT THEIR STRUGGLES, THEIR HOPES FOR THE FUTURE, HOW WE CAN DO BETTER FOR OUR KIDS.
ADAM: AND YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUTADAM: GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, HOW YOU FELT LIKE YOU WERE SOMETIMES ALIENATED.
IT HAS TO BE FASCINATING TO LOOK BACK ON ANDREW YANG, WHERE YOU HAVE COME FROM, AND NOW YOU HAVE THIS GROUNDWORK ON A NATIONWIDE LEVEL.
>> I JOKE ALL THE TIME, I AM THE LAST KID ANYONE THOUGHT WAS GOING TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT ON SO MANY LEVELS, BUT WE NEED TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.
RECORD LEVELS OF STRESS, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, EVEN SUICIDE AND DRUG OVERDOSES ON TOP OF THE COST OF COLLEGE DEBTS, THAT ARE HIGHER THAN OTHER.
CLIMATE CHANGE -- WE HAVE VERY, VERY BIG CHALLENGES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE PROGRESS ON VERY, VERY QUICKLY.
I KNEW OTHER AMERICANS FELT THE SAME WAY.
>> YOU MENTIONED THE DRUG OVERDOSES.
IF YOU ARE PRESIDENT, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO STOP THIS PIPELINE OF DRUGS THAT COMES UP FROM MEXICO AND OTHER COUNTRIES DIRECTLY INTO NEW HAMPSHIRE?
>> WE HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GET OUR ARMS AROUND THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC.
I WANT TO HELP PEOPLE GET OFF THE DRUGS AND BECOME CLEAN.
I KNOW THAT IS A VERY, VERY BIG CHALLENGE BECAUSE THESE DRUGS ARE INCREDIBLY ADDICTIVE.
I PROPOSE THAT WE STOP PROSECUTING USE OF OPIOIDS IF IT IS A PERSONAL USE, YOU ARE NOT SELLING, DEALING, PROFITING, BUT IF YOU ARE ADDICTED, WE NEED TO GET YOU STRAIGHT TO COUNSELING
AND TREATMENT AND NOT SEND YOU TO A PRISON CELL.
WE NEED TO WORK ON CURBING THE SUPPLY, BUT I AM MORE FOCUSED ON GETTING PEOPLE THE RESOURCES AND TREATMENT THEY NEED.
THIS WAS AN EPIDEMIC’S BOND BY CAPITAL -- EPIDEMIC SPOAWNED BY CAPITALISM RUN AMOK.
WE HAVE TO PUT THESE THINGS BACK TOGETHER AND SAY LOOK, HERE IS A PATH FORWARD.
>> TREATMENT IS A LONG-TERM OF -- SUCCESS RATE OF LESS THAN 10%.
THIS IS A HUGE INVESTMENT AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT GETTING PEOPLE REHABBED AND KEEPING THEM AWAY FROM THOSE DRUGS.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE MONEY, ADAM, PERDUE PHARMA MADE $30 BILLION DISTRIBUTING THESE DRUGS THAT HAVE KILLED SO MANY FAMILY MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
I SAY WE TAKE EVERY DIME OF THAT MONEY BACK AND PUT IT TOWARDS MAKING OUR PEOPLE STRONGER AND HEALTHIER.
ADAM: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT BLOOMBERG SKIPPING THE EARLY STATES, ESSENTIALLY?
>> MIKE HAS MADE A COUPLE OF DECISIONS THAT I COMPLETELY DISAGREE WITH.
IF YOU ARE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, YOU NEED TO SPEND TIME WITH THE PEOPLE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, THE PEOPLE HERE IN IOWA, AND YOU SHOULD BE TAKING DONATIONS FROM AMERICANS SO THEY
FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A BYE INTO YOUR CAMPAIGN, INSTEAD OF SAYING HEY, I WILL NOT TAKE ANY DONATIONS.
THAT SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE.
WE WANT YOU TO ACTUALLY BE A PART OF A MOVEMENT WHEN YOU DONATE FIVE DOLLARS, $10, $20 TO MY CAMPAIGN OR BLOOMBERG’S CAMPAIGN.
I THINK MIKE HAS MADE A COUPLE OF DECISIONS I DISAGREE WITH.
ADAM: TO FUND YOUR AMBITIOUS AGENDA, YOU TALK A LOT ABOUT HOW YOU ARE GOING TO USE A VALUE ADDED TAX TO GET THERE.
THAT IS TRADITIONALLY A TOUGH SELL IN THE UNITED STATES.
HOW DO YOU CONVINCE CONGRESS TO GO ALONG WITH A VAT?
>> EVERY OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRY HAS ONE EXCEPT US.
WHAT I SAY TO PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE IS, DO YOU THINK IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR AMAZON TO PAY ZERO FOR TAXES, NO ONE THINKS THAT IS APPROPRIATE.
THE BEST MECHANISM TO CHANGE THAT IS A VALUE ADDED TAX.
IT WOULD GENERATE HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF NEW REVENUE THAT IF WE PUT IT DIRECTLY INTO CONSUMERS’ HANDS, A TRICKLE OF ECONOMY, WE COULD CREATE AN IMPROVED WAY OF LIFE
FOR PEOPLE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, IN THE STATE OR THE COUNTRY THAT ARE RURAL AND GETTING PLEADED PROGRESSIVELY.
THIS IS THE GAME CHANGER WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.
ADAM: ON THE CORONAVIRUS, TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN INSTITUTED.
HOW AS A LEADER WOULD YOU BALANCE THE FREEDOMS THAT AMERICANS ENJOY WITH THE NEED TO LOCK DOWN ON THESE THINGS?
YOU SEE WHAT CHINA IS DOING, RESTRICTING TRAVEL, THINGS THEY CAN DO THERE.
HOW WOULD THINGS WORK IN THE UNITED STATES IF SUCH A SITUATION ROSE HERE?
>> MOST AMERICANS AGREE THAT WE PREFER OUR GOVERNMENT TO TAKE A BIT OF A HEAVIER HAND IF THAT MEANS WE ARE SAFE FROM THE SPREAD OF INFECTIOUS VIRUS THAT MIGHT ENDANGER OUR LIVES AND THE
LIVES OF OUR LOVED ONES.
SO IT IS A BALANCE AT ALL TIMES, BUT TO ME THE BALANCE WOULD BE TO SAFEGUARD PUBLIC SAFETY AND AS A CITIZEN, IF THE GOVERNMENT WAS TRYING TO FOLLOW UP WITH ME TO MAKE SURE THAT I WASN’T
INFECTED OR MY FAMILY WASN’T INFECTED, I WOULD FEEL A DEGREE OF REASSURANCE AND COMFORT, AND NOT LIKE OH, LEAVE ME ALONE.
ADAM: STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS -- YOU DO NOT THINK IT SHOULD GO , WIPE THE SLATE ENTIRELY CLEAN.
WHY NOT GO THAT FAR AND WHAT WOULD YOU DO INSTEAD?
>> I PROPOSED A 10 BY 10 PLAN, WHERE IF YOU COMMIT 10% OF YOUR SALARY FOR 10 YEARS, YOU EMERGE DEBT-FREE IN A DECADE.
I THINK IT IS POSSIBLE TO WIPE EVERYONE’S DEBT CLEAN ALL AT ONCE BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT SITUATIONS, PEOPLE HAVE VERY DIFFERENT INVESTMENTS IN THEIR EDUCATION AND TRYING TO
TREAT IT ALL AS ONE GIANT BLOCK IS PROBABLY NOT THE BEST APPROACH.
BUT WE NEED TO DO MORE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE BALANCING THESE STUDENT LOANS THAT IN SOME CASES, THEY WILL NEVER GET OUT FROM UNDER.
ADAM: AS WE WRAP UP, WHAT SHOULD GRANITE STATER’S AND HAWKEYE STATORS EXPECT OUT OF ANGRY -- ANDREW YANG?
>> WE ARE GOING TO OUTPERFORM EXPECTATIONS, GROW AND GROW AND PEAK WHEN THE VOTING STARTS.
I CANNOT WAIT TO BE BACK ON THE DEBATE STAGE AND I CANNOT WAIT FOR VOTING TO START FEBRUARY 11.
ADAM: ANDREW YANG IS V