Yang, who attended the event sporting a blue hat with his logo “MATH” (Make America Think Harder), spoke mostly about economic concerns over the next four years, saying this is the reason he can unseat President Donald Trump. He spoke of his “freedom dividend,” his plan to give Americans an additional $1,000 per month, and elaborated on his views of human-centered capitalism. He also spoke of his concerns that coming artificial intelligence threatens to eliminate up to 30% of American jobs.

He explained the decision to run for president came after he spoke with several people in Washington, D.C. regarding concerns on the coming economy, to no avail. He said even though he is running as a Democrat, his outlook is more pragmatic and he is willing to work across the aisle because “a good idea is a good idea no matter who it comes from.” He also said he is the candidate who has a chance against President Trump because he feels many Republicans would be willing to vote for him, as well as third party supporters. He spoke little of President Trump, saying he is “a symptom of a greater problem.” Yang focused more on large businesses like Amazon that pay no taxes, saying that is where much of the money for programs he supports will come from.