Yang says he expects to ‘surprise a lot of people’ in Iowa

by Justine Coleman - 02/02/20 10:09 AM ET

Presidential candidate Andrew Yang said Sunday that he expects to “surprise a lot of people” in Iowa.

ABC’s George Stephanpoulos pointed out on “This Week” Sunday, the day before the state’s caucuses, that Yang has been in “a pretty consistent sixth place” in Iowa without reaching double-digit support.

“We think we’re going to surprise a lot of people on Monday night, George, and we’ve got a ton of support in New Hampshire,” he said. “I can’t wait to take this vision to the rest of the country.”

NEW: @GStephanopoulos: You have been in a 6th place in Iowa. After a big investment, can you go on with a finish like that?

Andrew Yang: “We think we’re going to surprise a lot of people … you know that the Yang gang will be here the entire way.” https://t.co/K4MXKh6sNq pic.twitter.com/gvroZNqZOw

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 2, 2020

Stephanopoulos also pressed the presidential candidate on whether he’d be able to stay in the race if he didn’t earn any delegates.

“You know that the Yang Gang will be here the entire way,” he answered.

The entrepreneur said he can’t predict where his supporters “would head” if his campaign did not reach the 15 percent minimum support required to earn delegates, adding the campaign currently does not have plans to guide them.

“Many of them have supported Bernie in the past, but many of them supported President Trump and they might just leave,” he said, referencing Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who is one of four candidates expected to lead in the caucuses.

“I can’t speak for where they would head,” Andrew Yang says when asked where his supporters might go if he doesn’t hit 15%.

“… many of them have supported Bernie in the past, but many of them supported President Trump and they might just leave.” https://t.co/K4MXKh6sNq pic.twitter.com/rw4O38gER6

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 2, 2020

Yang currently places in sixth in Iowa at 3.8 percent, behind Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden, former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), according to RealClearPolitics. The poll aggregator currently shows Sanders with a 3.6 percentage point lead in the state.