>> Alcindor: DEMOCRATIC
CANDIDATES WILL BE BACK ON STAGE
ON JANUARY 14th IN DES MOINES,
IOWA.
SO FAR, FIVE CANDIDATES HAVE
QUALIFIED: VICE PRESIDENT JOE
BIDEN, SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS,
ELIZABETH WARREN AND AMY
KLOBUCHAR, AS WELL AS MAYOR PETE
BUTTIGIEG.
AND JOINING ME NOW IS CANDIDATE
ANDREW YANG, HE IS ALSO HOPING
TO MAKE THE STAGE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING
HERE IN STUDIO.
I KNOW YOU'VE HAD A BUSY, BUSY
WEEK.
AS WE'VE REPORTED, THE
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE IS
GONNA BE RAISING THE THRESHOLD
AGAIN FOR JANUARY.
YOU WERE THE ONLY CANDIDATE OF
COLOR ON STAGE THIS TIME AROUND.
ARE YOU CONCERNED AT ALL THAT
THESE RULES ARE ICING OUT
CANDIDATES OF COLOR?
>> YOU KNOW, OUR BIGGEST CONCERN
YAMICHE, IS HOW MANY POLLS ARE
THEY GOING TO RUN BETWEEN NOW
AND JANUARY 10?
WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT I'M GOING
TO BE ON THAT DEBATE STAGE IN
JANUARY AS LONG AS THEY RUN SOME
POLLS THAT SHOW THAT WE'RE
GROWING EVERY SINGLE DAY IN THE
EARLY STATES.
AND I WAS GENUINELY SURPRISED
THAT THEY DECIDED TO RAISE THE
THRESHOLDS.
>> Alcindor: AND ARE YOU AT ALL
WORRIED ABOUT WHAT THAT SAYS TO
VOTERS, ESPECIALLY AS THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS BECOMING
INCREASINGLY DIVERSE?
>> WELL, CERTAINLY TO ME, I WAS
SURPRISED BY THE D.N.C.s
DECISION BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN
CRITICIZED FOR THIS PAST DEBATE
WHEN I WAS A LONE CANDIDATE OF
COLOR, AND THEN THEY RAISED A
THRESHOLD THAT MIGHT EXCLUDE ME
FROM THIS NEXT DEBATE.
SO TO ME, IT'S A LITTLE BIT
BEWILDERING, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU
HAVE TO LET TOM MAKE HIS OWN
DECISIONS.
>> Alcindor: LET ME ASK YOU
ABOUT YOUR SIGNATURE PROGRAM.
$1000 A MONTH FOR AMERICAN
ADULTS OVER THE AGE OF 18.
HOW DOES THAT PROGRAM SQUARE
WITH SOCIAL SAFETY NET PROGRAMS,
ESPECIALLY FOOD STAMPS AND
FEDERAL HOUSING VOUCHERS?
>> SO THE WAY IT WORKS IS THAT
IS UNIVERSAL AND OPT IN THE
FREEDOM DIVIDEND OF $1000 A
MONTH FOR EVERY AMERICAN IT
STACKS ON TOP OF SOCIAL SECURITY
BENEFITS TO HELP STAB OFF THE
RETIREE CRISIS, THE RETIREMENT
CRISIS THAT MANY OLDER AMERICANS
ARE FACING, AND SO IT'S OPT IN.
IF YOU DO OPT IN, YOU WOULD
FORGO CASH AND CASH LIKE
BENEFITS FROM CERTAIN PROGRAMS.
>> Alcindor: LIKE FOOD STAMPS
AND FEDERAL HOUSING VOUCHERS?,
>> NOT FEDERAL HOUSING VOUCHERS.
THAT'S NOT ON THERE, BUT FOOD
STAMPS, YES.
THOUGH, WHEN I TALKED TO PEOPLE
WHO ARE ON THESE PROGRAMS, THEY
LIVE IN FEAR, OFTEN TIMES OF
LOSING WHATEVER BENEFITS THEY'RE
GETTING.
THEY'RE AFRAID OF MISSING SOME
FILING REQUIREMENT OR HAVING
PEOPLE LOOK IN ON THEM.
AND SO FOR THEM, UNCONDITIONAL
CASH SEEMS LIKE A MASSIVE
IMPROVEMENT.
>> Alcindor: THERE'S A LOT OF
FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES THAT
PRESIDENTS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO
NAVIGATE.
RIGHT NOW, NORTH KOREA IS
THREATENING TO DELIVER A
CHRISTMAS GIFT, WHICH MIGHT BE A
MISSILE TEST.
HOW WOULD YOU DEAL WITH THIS
ISSUE IF YOU WERE PRESIDENT?
>> I HAVE FAMILY IN SEOUL RIGHT
NOW, SO IT'S PERSONAL.
WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN
TO ENCOURAGE NORTH KOREA TO
DENUCLEARIZE, EITHER IN WHOLE OR
IN PART.
AND WHILE DONALD TRUMP I DON'T
THINK MADE A MISTAKE NECESSARILY
BY SITTING DOWN WITH KIM JONG
UN, HE DID MAKE A HUGE MISTAKE
IN THAT HE DIDN'T ACTUALLY GET
MEANINGFUL CONCESSIONS.
AND THIS NUCLEAR MISSILE TEST,
UNFORTUNATELY, IS ILLUSTRATING
THAT.
>> Alcindor: HOW WOULD YOU
HANDLE IT IF YOU WERE PRESIDENT?
WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY
THAN PRESIDENT TRUMP IF YOU'RE
FACED WITH THIS ISSUE?
>> I WOULD SAY TO THE NORTH
KOREANS, LOOK, WE WILL MEET WITH
YOU AND TRY AND ADDRESS SOME OF
YOUR ECONOMIC CONCERNS BECAUSE
THE REALITY IS THAT SOCIETY IS
ON THE BRINK OF ECONOMIC RUIN.
BUT WE NEED YOU TO WORK WITH US
IN TERMS OF SCALING BACK YOUR
MISSILE PROGRAMS AND YOUR
NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT.
>> Alcindor: SO YOU WOULD MEET
WITH KIM JONG UN?
>> I WOULD AGREE TO MEET IF I
THOUGHT IT WOULD HELP
DENUCLEARIZE THE PENINSULA.
I WOULD NOT MEET JUST FOR THE
SAKE OF A PHOTO OP.
>> Alcindor: THE ECONOMY.
IT'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT'S ON
VOTERS MINDS.
PRESIDENT TRUMP LAST NIGHT
TALKED A LOT ABOUT IT.
HE DIDN'T TALK THAT MUCH
SURPRISINGLY ABOUT IMPEACHMENT.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO VOTERS WHO
MAYBE DON'T LIKE THE PRESIDENT
BUT REALLY DO LIKE THE WAY THAT
THE ECONOMY'S GOING, ESPECIALLY
WITH LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATES?
>> WELL, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
DOES NOT ILLUSTRATE THE LIVED
EXPERIENCE OF ANY OF THE
AMERICANS I'M TALKING TO ON THE
TRAIL.
THE FACT IS, MILLIONS OF
AMERICANS HAVE DROPPED OUT OF
THE WORKFORCE.
40 TO 44% OF RECENT COLLEGE
GRADUATES ARE UNDEREMPLOYED IN A
JOB THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE A
DEGREE.
THERE'S A TON OF WEAKNESS IN THE
LABOR MARKET THAT'S BEING
OBSCURED BY THE HEADLINE
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, WHICH EVEN
DONALD TRUMP WHEN HE WAS RUNNING
FOR PRESIDENT SAID WAS FAKE
NEWS.
IT'S A VERY, VERY MISLEADING
STATISTIC.
>> Alcindor: SO IN OTHER WORDS,
YOU THINK THAT YOU WOULD MAKE
THE CASE TO VOTERS THAT THE
ECONOMY IS BASICALLY NOT WORKING
FOR PEOPLE, AND AS A RESULT, YOU
SHOULD ELECT ME FOR PRESIDENT.
>> WHAT I WOULD SAY TO AMERICANS
IS LOOK, RECORD HIGHS IN THIS
COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
STRESS, FINANCIAL INSECURITY,
DEPRESSION, SUICIDES, DRUG
OVERDOSES, STUDENT LOAN DEBT.
AND THEY SENSE THIS.
THEY FEEL IT WHEN THEY SEE THE
HEADLINE STAT ON THE TV SCREEN.
THEY'RE NOT SAYING, OH, THINGS
ARE GREAT.
THEY'RE SAYING, WHY DOES IT NOT
FEEL LIKE IT'S GREAT IN MY
FAMILY AND MY COMMUNITY?
>> Alcindor: AND WOULD YOU
PARDON PRESIDENT TRUMP IF YOU
WERE ELECTED?
>> WELL, YOU'D HAVE TO MAKE A
DECISION AT THAT TIME.
BUT WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS THAT
A DYNAMIC THE UNITED STATES
WANTS TO AVOID IS ONE WHERE
PRESIDENTS ARE THROWING PAST
PRESIDENTS IN JAIL.
BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AROUND THE
WORLD, THAT'S BEEN A DYNAMIC
THAT GETS ESTABLISHED IN
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, AND THE
UNITED STATES HAS HISTORICALLY
MANAGED TO AVOID, THAT BENEFIT
>> Alcindor: SO YOU WOULD HAVE A
PARDON ON THE TABLE FOR
PRESIDENT TRUMP POSSIBLY?
>> I'M FOCUSED ON SOLVING THE
PROBLEMS THAT GOT DONALD TRUMP
ELECTED AND MOVING THE COUNTRY
FORWARD, AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK
THE PRESIDENT'S PARTY SHOULD BE.
>> Alcindor: SO THAT SOUNDS LIKE
A YES.
>> LET'S JUST SAY LIKE, I'M NOT
SOMEONE WHO THINKS THAT BEING
OVERLY VINDICTIVE OR PUNITIVE
NECESSARILY IS HELPFUL TO UNIFY
THE COUNTRY.
>> Alcindor: WELL, THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR JOINING ME IN STUDIO.
ANDREW YANG WHO IS, OF COURSE,
RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.
>> THANK YOU, YAMICHE.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
AND GREAT JOB WITH THE DEBATE.
>> Alcindor: THANK YOU.
