Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang has given thumbs down to MSNBC, saying that it has not treated his campaign as they do other candidates, and he won’t appear on the network until they apologize.
“Was asked to appear on @msnbc this weekend — and told them that I’d be happy to after they apologize on-air, discuss and include our campaign consistent with our polling, and allow surrogates from our campaign as they do other candidates’. They think we need them. We don’t,” Yang tweeted Saturday.
“They’ve omitted me from their graphics 12+ times, called me John Yang on air, and given me a fraction of the speaking time over 2 debates despite my polling higher than other candidates on stage,” he continued. “At some point you have to call it.”
Yang added, “The whole time we have gotten stronger. This is actually bad for MSNBC. It will only get worse after I make the next debates and keep rising in the polls. The people are smarter than MSNBC would like to think.”
A representative for MSNBC did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
“Yang has spoken less than a candidate polling at his level would be expected to at every single debate he’s been to so far,” Business Insider reported Saturday based on Morning Consult: The New York Times data.
Thursday’s debate was the least-watched of seven Democratic candidates debates so far this year, but not the least-watched on MSNBC, which previously partnered with other channels for simulcasts that delivered higher numbers.