Andrew Yang aimed to empathize with people who previously voted for President Trump while touting his Democratic rival during the final night of the party’s national convention.
Mr. Yang, a former candidate for the Democratic nomination to challenge Mr. Trump, appealed directly to voters who helped put the Republican president in the White House during a speech he delivered near the end of the virtual Democratic National Convention late Thursday.
Speaking in support of Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden, Mr. Yang urged former Trump voters to help the country “recover” by electing his challenger this November.
“We are in a deep, dark hole, and we need leaders who will help us dig out,” Mr. Yang said during the DNC.
“I know many politicians promise and then fail to deliver. If you voted for Trump or didn’t vote at all back in 2016, I get it. Many of us have gotten tired of our leaders seeming far removed from our everyday lives, and we despair that our government will ever rise to the challenges of our time. But we must give our country a chance to recover. And recovery is only possible with a change of leadership and new ideas,” Mr. Yang added.
Mr. Yang, a 45-year-old entrepreneur, unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination on a platform that included policies such as offering Americans a monthly “Freedom Dividend” of $1,000, as well as responding to the negative impact automation is expected to have on the American jobs market.
He ended his long-shot campaign in February and endorsed Mr. Biden the following month.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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