ADAM: WELCOME BACK TO CLOSE UP.
IT’S A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE.
ON HIS MOST RECENT TRIP TO NEW HAMPSHIRE ANDREW YANG DREW OVERFLOW CROWDS, AND HE’S GOING TO NEED BIGGER VENUES IN THE MONTH AHEAD, AS THE UPSTART ENTREPRENEUR TRIES TO SHOCK THE
WORLD EVEN MORE THAN HE ALREADY HAS.
MR. YANG IS OUR GUEST THIS MORNING.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
ADAM: THE DNC SAID IT WOULD NOT ADD ADDITIONAL POLES TO EXPAND THE POLLING RANGE TO GET YOU ON THE DEBATE STAGE.
IS THAT A BIG DEAL FOR YOU?
>> I THINK PEOPLE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE NEED TO HAVE THEIR VOICE HEARD TO DATE THERE HAS NOT BEEN A QUALIFYING POLL RUN HERE IN THE STATE FOR A MONTH AND A HALF.
WE KNOW A LOT CAN CHANGE IN A MONTH AND HALF AND SO TO ME THE MESSAGE TO THE DNC SHOULD BE THIS IS A DEMOCRACY AND WE NEED TO HEAR WHAT THE PEOPLE THINK.
ADAM: YOU’RE NOT BIG ON DRAWING CONTRASTS WITH OTHER CANDIDATES BUT YOU’RE SKEPTICAL OF JOE BIDEN’S POSITION THAT HE CAN TEACH COAL MINERS TO CODE.
WHY SHOULDN’T WE TEACH COAL MINERS TO CODE?
>> THERE ARE SO MANY REASONS THAT THAT IS TO ME VERY UNPRODUCTIVE.
BY THE NUMBERS, 8% OF AMERICANS ARE IN STEM FIELDS.
SAYING TO THE OTHER 92% YOU NEED TO BE LIKE THESE 8% WON’T WORK.
MAYBE AMERICANS HAVE NO INTEREST IN CODING.
SAYING THEY NEED TO KNOW HOW TO CODE IS UNPRODUCTIVE AT BEST AND MISLEADING AT WORST.
WE HAVE TO HAVE THE JOBS OF THE FUTURE BE ORGANIZED AROUND WHAT WE WANT TO DO, WHAT OUR COMMUNITIES NEED AND VALUE AS OPPOSED TO SOME NARROW IDEA OF WHAT THE MARKET VALUES.
WE HAVE TO DISENTANGLE ECONOMIC VALUE AND HUMAN VALUE AND SAY WE HAVE INTRINSIC VALUE AS AMERICANS COULD ADAM: DOESN’T THAT ALSO SAY THAT JOE BIDEN IS TOO OLD TO BE PRESIDENT?
>> JOB RETRAINING PROGRAMS HAVE NOT WORKED BY THE NUMBERS.
MANY OF THOSE WORKERS DID NOT GET RETRAINED.
INSTEAD THEY ENDED UP LEAVING THE FIELD AND THE WORKFORCE IN MANY CASES AND MANY OF THOSE TOWNS HAVE NEVER RECOVERED.
ADAM: YOU’RE NOT AN EASY CANDIDATE TO CATEGORIZE AT ALL.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHO SAY I LIKE THIS GUY I’M NOT LOOKING FOR A BIG CHANGE THAT MIGHT COME WITH SOMETHING LIKE UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME?
>> WE NEED TO SOLVE THE REAL PROBLEMS THAT GOT DONALD TRUMP ELECTED.
EVEN DRUG OVERDOSES AND SUICIDES.
THESE ARE THE REAL PROBLEMS THAT GOT DONALD TRUMP ELECTED.
AMAZON IS SOAKING UP $20 BILLION IN TAXES.
ADAM: IS THERE ANYONE WHO WON’T GET THE UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME?
>> IT’S UNIVERSAL BUT IT’S OPT IN.
I’M SURE THERE WILL BE SOME AMERICAN SOMEWHERE WHO DECIDES THAT A THOUSAND DOLLARS WOULD BE UNHELPFUL.
ADAM: WHAT IF SOMEBODY WHO WOULD OBVIOUSLY USE IT TO THE WRONG INS.
IF I’M A TWICE CONVICTED DRUG DEALER OR GUNRUNNER, IS A GOOD IDEA TO GIVE ME A CHECK?
>> IF YOU HAVE PAID YOUR DEBT TO SOCIETY AND ARE COMING OUT OF JAIL THE NEED TO GET THE FREEDOM EVIDENT WHICH WOULD HELP YOU REINTEGRATE INTO THE WORKFORCE AND SOCIETY AND WILL GIVE YOU A
REASON TO STAY OUT OF JAIL.
ADAM: YOU’VE BEEN ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER A GOOD QUARTER AND A GOOD LAST WEEK.
>> IT’S TIME FOR ANDREW YANG ON THE AIRWAVES.
YOU KNOW I’M STILL NEW TO MANY AMERICANS.
PEOPLE ARE STILL GETTING TO KNOW ME SO WE ARE HOPEFULLY GOING TO MAKE THAT EASIER.
ADAM: YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY ON THE IMPEACHMENT PROCESS WITH DONALD TRUMP.
YOU SAID IT WAS A DISTRACTION AND A WASTE OF TIME.
WITHOUT THIS HAS GONE AND NOW WE DON’T KNOW IF NANCY PELOSI GOING TO HAND IT OVER OR WHEN.
I DEMOCRATS SHOOTING THEMSELVES IN THE FOOT HERE?
>> WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT DONALD TRUMP WE ARE LOSING EVEN IN THE CONTEXT OF IMPEACHMENT.
THE FACT IS NOT A SINGLE REPUBLICAN HAS CROSSED PARTY LINES.
IT’S NOT A GREAT USE OF DEMOCRAT ENERGIES.
WE NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON A NEW POSITIVE VISION FOR THE COUNTRY AND BEATING HIM IN 2020.
ADAM: WOULD YOU HAVE VOTED ALONGSIDE TULSA GABBARD?
>> I WOULD HAVE VOTED FOR IMPEACHING THE PRESIDENT BECAUSE YOU CAN’T ABUSE POWER THAT WAY.
I WOULD HAVE BEEN A YES VOTE.
ADAM: YOU HAVE NEVER WON AN ELECTION OR GOVERNED.
WE’VE GOT ONE OF THOSE RIGHT NOW IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
>> PLEASE DON’T SAY THAT.
ADAM: THERE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HARDER FOR HIM BECAUSE HE DOES NOT KNOW HOW IT WORKS.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET AROUND THAT PARTICULAR PROBLEM IF YOU ARE IN THE OVAL OFFICE?
>> I WOULD NEVER BE ONE OF THOSE CEOS WHO SAY THEY WANT TO RUN GOVERNMENT LIKE A BUSINESS.
A GOVERNMENT IS MORE SIMILAR TO A NATIONAL NONPROFIT WHERE YOU CAN’T JUST GO TOP-DOWN.
YOU HAVE TO GENERATE CONSENSUS AND BUY-IN FOR A VISION THAT PEOPLE WILL SEE THAT IF THEY GET ON BOARD IT’S GOOD FOR THEM.
THE WAY I WILL GET THINGS DONE IS DO WHAT BARACK OBAMA DID AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS BARACK OBAMA DID WAS FIND HIS RUNNING MATE.
ADAM: ON CLIMATE CHANGE YOU FAVOR A CARBON TAX.
>> WE NEED TO PUT A PRICE ON CARBON EMISSIONS BECAUSE THAT WILL HELP INDUSTRIES BECOME MUCH MORE EFFICIENT.
WE KNOW THEY JUST OPERATE ON THE BOTTOM LINE.
THEN WE TAKE THAT REVENUE AND MOVE IT TOWARD SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SOURCES LIKE WIND, SOLAR AND NUCLEAR WHERE OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE SUCCESSFULLY INVESTED IN NUCLEAR ENERGY AND
SEEN GREAT RESULTS.
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS ONLY 15% OF GLOBAL EMISSIONS.
EVEN IF WE WERE TO BRING OURSELVES WAY DOWN WE WOULD STILL BE SEEING FLOODS IN PORTSMOUTH AND STORMS AROUND THE COUNTRY.
WE NEED TO START PROTECTING OURSELVES AND OUR COMMUNITIES.
I GET FRUSTRATED WHEN POLITICIANS TALK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AS SOMETHING WE CAN PREVENT.
WE NEED TO START INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR PEOPLE.
ADAM YOU’RE A MEDICARE FOR ALL GUY.
IT’S GOING TO BECOME A MASSIVE BUREAUCRACY.
>> I’M NOT SOMEONE WHO THINKS WE SHOULD SWEEP AWAY ALL PRIVATE INSURANCE PLANS.
THE GOAL OF THE GOVERNMENT IS TO PROVIDE UNIVERSAL PLAN.
THE HEALTH CARE MARKET IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM OTHER MARKETS.
IF YOU PUT MONEY INTO OUR HANDS IT DOESN’T SOMEHOW SOLVE THE PROBLEMS BECAUSE YOU BECOME VERY COST INSENSITIVE WHEN IT BECOMES TO HEALTH CARE.
YOU CAN’T BECOME AN EXPERT IN EVERYTHING.
THIS IS AN AREA WHERE THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO HAVE SOME ROLE.
ADAM: YOU’VE PLAYED DR. GOOGLE ONCE OR TWICE LOOKING UP SYMPTOMS AND WHATNOT.
>> THE DIAGNOSIS IS ALWAYS THE KID IS GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT.
ADAM: WHAT DOES A WIND LOOK LIKE FOR ANDREW YANG?
>> WE ARE SEEING SO MUCH STRENGTH AND ENERGY I THINK WE ARE GOING TO SHOCK THE WORLD.
I BELIEVE WE CAN CONTEND IN NEW HAMPSHIRE FOR THE WHOLE THING.
VERY FEW PEOPLE HAVE MADE UP THEIR MINDS.
THIS IS A VERY FLUID AND DYNAMIC RACE.
WE ARE GROWING AND GROWING AND WE ARE GOING TO PEEK AT THE RIGHT TIME ON FEBRUARY 11.
ADAM: ARE YOU GOING TO TRY TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH KIM JONG-UN LIKE TRUMP HAS ATTEMPTED TO DO?
>> I DON’T THINK IT’S NECESSARILY A MISTAKE TO SIT DOWN WITH HIM BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE MEANINGFUL CONCESSIONS THAT YOU GET FOR YOUR TIME.
WE DO HAVE TO KEEP PRESSURE ON NORTH KOREA TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE NOT CONTINUING TO ADVANCE THEIR NUCLEAR ARMAMENTS THAT I DON’T THINK IT’S NECESSARILY A MISTAKE TO SIT
DOWN WITH PEOPLE.
ADAM: A PRESIDENT ANDREW YANG COULD BECOME A VERY IMPORTANT VOICE IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION.
ARE YOU GOING TO BE LIKE REAGAN SAYING TEAR DOWN THIS WALL OR ARE YOU GOING TO PLAY IT MORE SAFE?
>> OUR FOCUS NEEDS TO BE TO OUTCOMPETE THE CHINESE.
THEY ARE POSITIONED TO POTENTIALLY LEAPFROG US IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE BECAUSE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO MORE DATA AND THEIR GOVERNMENT IS SUBSIDIZING THEIR COMPUTING
INFRASTRUCTURE AT MUCH HIGHER LEVELS.
IF WE INVEST PROPERLY WE CAN CONTINUE TO REMAIN A WORLD LEADER BUT I WOULD HAVE A VERY FIRM HAND WITH THE CHINESE BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATING OUR INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY FOR YEARS NOW AND THERE WAS A PERIOD WHEN THAT WAS ACCEPTABLE BUT THAT IS ENDING.
ADAM: WOULD YOU TRY TO STAND UP MORE FOR A LIBERAL DEMOCRACY?
>> WE NEED TO STAND UP FOR OUR VALUES EVERYWHERE.
WE NEED TO GENERATE CONSENSUS.
ONE OF MY PROPOSALS IS A NEW WORLD DATA ORGANIZATION BECAUSE RIGHT NOW CHINA IS DEVELOPING ITS OWN TECHNOLOGY ECOSYSTEM AND TRYING TO EXPORT IT TO OTHER COUNTRIES.
WE HAVE TO SET INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND THEN SAY TO THE CHINESE, YOU NEED TO ABIDE BY DEMOCRATIC VALUES OR AT LEAST NOT ABUSE YOUR OWN PEOPLE IN ORDER TO JOIN THE WORLD DATA
ORGANIZATION AND THE COMBINATION