Former Presidental Candidate Andrew Yang Dumps the Democratic Party

Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang announced today that he was leaving the Democratic party in a blog post to become an “independent.”

Why I’m leaving the Democratic Party https://t.co/nrStxjrLfF

— Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) October 4, 2021

In the blog post, Yang said that he believes he “can reach people who are outside the system more effectively” and that he felt “more . . . independent.”

Reaction to his decision was mixed with many being supportive and some being cynical.

“Because I lost two primaries,” Twitter user Devin Bready responded, offering his own explanation for why he believes Yang left the Democrat party.

Yang also lost a primary for NYC mayor earlier this year. He replied to Bready, “Got hundreds of thousands of votes among Democratic voters.”

Got hundreds of thousands of votes among Democratic voters 👍

— Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) October 4, 2021

After some of the initial reactions to his tweet, Yang offered a follow-up where he said, “You know what I find odd – people accusing someone of making a decision like this out of opportunism while demonstrating that the opposite is probably true.”

You know what I find odd – people accusing someone of making a decision like this out of opportunism while demonstrating that the opposite is probably true.

— Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) October 4, 2021

Rapper Zuby told Yang, “Good for you. The amount of spite and hate you’ll inevitably receive for this will only further validate your decision.”

Good for you.

The amount of spite and hate you'll inevitably receive for this will only further validate your decision.

— ZUBY: (@ZubyMusic) October 4, 2021

Given the reaction of many Democrats, it is hard to say what Yang will do, moving forward, but he does have a book that is supposed to be released tomorrow.

Now on https://t.co/Jnu9BU18yX I talk my new book and the path ‘Forward’ with @krystalball – what can we actually do to fix our future? pic.twitter.com/PxmqVuqB7X

— Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) October 4, 2021