Andrew Yang drops out of presidential race

Andrew Yang, a New York businessman whose unusual presidential campaign rose to prominence with a plan to give Americans $1,000 a month, is dropping out of the Democratic race.

Initially seen as a long-shot candidate, Yang used a savvy social media strategy to garner legions of devoted followers who referred to themselves as the “Yang Gang.”

Addressing supporters in New Hampshire on Tuesday night, Yang said: “While there is great work left to be done, you know I am the math guy, and it is clear tonight from the numbers that we are not going to win this race. I am not someone who wants to accept donations and support in a race that we will not win. And so tonight I am announcing I am suspending my campaign for president.”

Yang, 45, launched his bid for the presidency in late 2017.

A lawyer turned entrepreneur and author of a book called “The War on Normal People,” Yang appealed to voters by warning of the ills of technology— including automation and artificial intelligence. Yang’s plan for a universal basic income— the $1,000 a month check that he dubbed the “Freedom Dividend”— served as a bedrock for his larger vision for fixing a society deeply sickened by capitalism.

“Democrats still have not asked themselves the hard questions as to how Donald Trump won in 2016,” Yang said in December. The party is acting like “Trump is the cause of all our problems. He’s a symptom and we need to cure the underlying disease.”