Former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang joined CNN as a political commentator, the network said Wednesday.
Yang, a businessman, ended his presidential bid Feb. 11 ahead of the Democratic New Hampshire primary results. Yang became well-known during his Democratic campaign, particularly because of his “Freedom Dividend” plan, which would give $1,000 a month to every American.
“I’m excited to join @CNN to help shed light on the election and the candidates’ experiences,” Yang tweeted Wednesday as the news was announced.
I’m excited to join @CNN to help shed light on the election and the candidates’ experiences. Learned a lot these past months and am glad to contribute to the public discussion.
— Andrew Yang???? (@AndrewYang) February 19, 2020
Despite gaining notoriety throughout his campaign, Yang was not considered a front-runner, according to numerous polls. The Yang campaign fired dozens of staffers after a poor showing at the Iowa primary.
“There was a part of me that thought that we might be able to win this race and get this done this cycle, and so there’s a lot of disappointment because when you’re goal-oriented and you’re a builder, it’s very hard to pat yourself on the back and say, job well done, if you didn’t win,” Yang previously told Politico when he announced he was suspending the campaign. “But rationally and objectively, I know that we’ve done something unprecedented and remarkable.”
The entrepreneur also sparked interest when he announced his MSNBC boycott, accusing the network in November of partaking in a media blackout against his campaign. Yang eventually ended his boycott in December after agreeing to do an interview with anchor Chris Hayes. (RELATED: Andrew Yang Rips Into Media Over Impeachment Coverage)