Andrew Yang Takes Heat For Remarks on Leaving NYC Amid Pandemic: ‘Can You Imagine’ Working From Home with Kids?

Leia IdlibyJan 11th, 2021, 11:17 am
 

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Andrew Yang, who is expected to announce his bid for New York City mayor this week, caught heat on Monday for admitting he has avoided the city amid the pandemic because it’s difficult for him to work from home.

In an interview with The New York Times, Yang explained that he has spent more time in his home upstate than in his apartment in the city, largely to escape working in a small space while quarantining with his family — a reality many New York City residents have faced since March.

When asked about the fact that he has not been in New York City much since the Covid-19 cases surged last March, Yang predicted voters would not consider his location relevant as long as he had a coherent plan.

“We’ve spent more time upstate than in the city over the last number of months, but I also spent time in Georgia, as you know, I spent time in Pennsylvania campaigning for Joe and Kamala,” he said, later noting, “We live in a two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan. And so, like, can you imagine trying to have two kids on virtual school in a two-bedroom apartment, and then trying to do work yourself?”

Yang’s comments quickly prompted a backlash from those pointing out that the circumstance he could not “imagine” trying to work under were the same living conditions his voters have endured.

Yang, like many wealthy New Yorkers, also left the city once it locked down, highlighting a clear example of an income divide, which he himself has been working to eliminate with the Freedom Dividend, a universal basic income policy that promises Americans payments of $1,000 per month.

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