'Half-baked gimmick to market a book'? Andrew Yang reportedly launching third party after failed presidential & mayoral bids

Former US Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang is reportedly set to announce the creation of a new third party, alongside the release of his book on American democracy. The rumors were met with a chilly reaction.

Yang’s intention to launch a new party was reported by Politico on Thursday, which cited two unnamed sources “familiar with the matter.”

According to Politico, Yang is expected to launch the party in conjunction with the October 5 release of his book, however the details of the party – including potential plans for the 2022 election cycle – are not known.

Since his 2020 presidential campaign, and more recently his failed attempt to become mayor of New York City, Yang has courted controversy with various political stances, from his proposals for universal basic income (UBI), his vehement support for and ‘simplistic’ views about Israel – and has been the butt of jokes after numerous inappropriate gaffes.

Yang also sparked backlash in June after declaring that though “mentally ill people have rights,” everyone else has the right to “not fear” that a “mentally ill person is going to lash out at us” on the street.

Just months before, the politician faced heat for likening the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement to “fascist” anti-Semitic hate campaigns, proposing a system where New Yorkers could prove their Covid-19 vaccination status with a “barcode” on their phones, and making an appeal to the LGBT community which was criticized for being “cringeworthy,” “outdated,” and insincere.

Following the slew of controversies – and after early results showed Yang had fallen from primary frontrunner to fourth place with just under 12% of the vote – he conceded defeat in his mayoral campaign on June 22.

Yang’s book, ‘Forward: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy’, is reportedly an indictment of America’s “era of institutional failure” – but judging by social media reaction, not many were enthused by the prospect of him launching a new party, with many saying it was simply a ploy to help him sell the book.

Yang has not yet commented on the rumors, but on Thursday, the same day as the Politico report, he tweeted simply: “Excited.”

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