Democratic presidential candidate and entrepreneur Andrew Yang made a splash during Thursday’s debate by announcing that he would be giving away $1,000 a month for a year to 10 lucky Americans who entered his “Freedom Dividend” raffle, but now he’s looking to them for donations to his campaign.
The raffle, which boldly boasts “No strings attached!” on the landing page of Yang’s campaign website, asks only for entrants’ names, email addresses, and zip codes and reiterates in the fine print that no donations are required to win.
In a Saturday morning fundraising email, however, Yang asks raffle participants to chip into the cause.
“We’re emailing you because you entered our Freedom Dividend giveaway,” the email states.
“I am not a politician — I’m a problem solver,” Yang says in the campaign pitch. “I’m running to solve the biggest problems of our time. My ask to you today is simple — will you join me? Will you stand up against our broken system, and build a new economy — one that puts humanity first?”
He then asks to those hoping to receive $1,000 a month from Yang to donate their own money to his campaign.
“If you believe in what we are doing, please contribute $10 or more to this movement today. We don’t accept corporate PAC contributions and over 75% of our total fundraising comes from grassroots donations — so you know your donation matters,” Yang asks.
The raffle, which inspired 7,500 new people to follow him on Twitter on Thursday and countless people across the political spectrum to enter his no-strings-attached contest, is an effort for Yang to promote his signature platform.
The “Freedom Dividend,” as Yang describes it, would give Americans $1,000 a month paid for by tax revenue as part of a universal basic income plan. His proposal has drawn criticism from liberals and conservatives for its viability and practical application in the United States.
