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