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Is Andrew Yang startng his own political party? Internet calls it a 'marketing company'

Insiders confirm former presidential candidate will launch a third party, alongside the release of his new book, internet believes the two are connected

Despite failing to become President of the United States and Mayor of New York City, Andrew Yang is far from done with politics, according to a new story. Insiders have revealed that the former businessman is gearing up to launch a third party next month, reportedly because he "no longer identifies as a Democrat". However, conspiracy theorists have been quick to dismiss the news, given the timing of Yang's announcement - it will coincide with the launch of his book 'Forward: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy'. 

Yang's run for Mayor of NYC was far from perfect, as he eventually had to withdraw due to overwhelming criticism. In March, he was dubbed a "model whitewashed Asian" for his silence over the Atlanta spa shootings. Then in May, he called the Hamas "terrorists" in a pro-Israel tweet, leading many to claim he supported genocide. A month later, Yang used the term "mentally ill" during a Mayoral debate, which immediately led to massive backlash. 

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Despite those setbacks, he appears in no mood to concede just yet. That's where his book comes in. Reportedly, the book will provide some insight into Yang's political thoughts, which will form the basis of his party. But is the news just a grift to sell more copies? It's too early to tell, but social media is already fuelling the theory it is. 

Is the news a ruse to sell books?

There's a lot tying Yang's party to his book. For one, both will be released on October 5. For another, the book is expected to be a summary of Yang's political ideas. "Yang introduces us to the various “priests of the decline” of America, including politicians whose incentives have become divorced from the people they supposedly serve," the publisher Penguin Random House says. They add, "Yang offers a series of solutions, including data rights, ranked-choice voting, and fact-based governance empowered by modern technology." 

Some, if not most of these ideas have already been a part of Yang's campaigns. For example, universal basic income (UBI), which is mentioned in the book was a cornerstone of Yang's presidential campaign. So you can very much expect these ideas to make it to his political party. Details about the party are extremely scarce at the moment. POLITICO was the first to break the news, based on inside sources. 

So far, we don't know the name of the party, or if Yang will field candidates in the 2022 midterms, even though it's quite late in the cycle. All we know so far is that Yang will likely keep pushing his UBI policies, and others that he promised on the presidential, and mayoral campaigns. As for what, and why exactly, those details are expected to be made clear in his book. S naturally, the connection caught Twitter users' eye. 

'Yang launching a marketing company'

"I see Andrew Yang is keeping the grift alive No refunds, folks!" tweeted Jack Posobiec. One person commented, "The most important words in this @AlexThomp scoop may well be "in conjunction with the Oct. 5 release of his new book"." Another person said, "So Andrew Yang is launching a marketing company to sell his book, disguised as a political party."

"Andrew Yang is finally admitting that he had never been a Democrat. His new party is just part of his grift; This time it's to sell a book," one user claimed. Another tweeted, "Andrew Yang’s absolute dedication to the promotion of Andrew Yang continues unabated I see." One person joked, "Seems Andrew Yang is not so much trying to create a third party as he is trying to promote his upcoming book. Either way, I doubt it will be successful."

Whether or not the accusations are true, if Yang is indeed going to launch a third party, it is a significant story on its own. While the US has plenty of third parties, like the Greens and Libertarian Party, none have ever managed to truly challenge the duopoly of the Democrats and Republicans. Maybe Yang's quirky ideas like UBI can change that?