Faced with low poll numbers, Democratic presidential contender Andrew Yang says he will use a 3D hologram of himself to campaign in several places at once.
The New York businessman, 44, claims the technology will more effectively allow him to promote his policies in ‘Iowa and other battleground states’.
Yang is currently working with a hologram company and is aiming to roll out the technology in June.
The entrepreneur is no doubt hoping that the gimmick can give him a boost in popularity, given that he’s currently polling at just 1%.
He is one of 18 Democrats who have declared they are running for the party’s nomination in the 2020 election.
Yang recently tested out the technology with a prototype video that shows his hologram on stage with the rapper Tupac Shakur.
A hologram of Shakur memorably appeared at the 2012 Coachella festival, making headlines around the world.
Yang is a son of Taiwanese immigrants and was educated at the elite Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, where tuition tops $55,000 per year.
He went on to study at Brown and Columbia, before founding the nonprofit organization Venture For America, which aims ‘to revitalize cities and communities through entrepreneurship’.
Yang has also been involved in numerous startups.
In recent weeks he has pulled in enough donations to qualify for the June Democratic primary debate.
According to Democratic National Committee rules, candidates must receive donations from at least 65,000 unique donors with a minimum of 200 donors in at least 20 different states.
Thus far, more than 66,000 donors have contributed over $350,000 to Yang’s campaign.
His presidential website outlines about 80 different policies, including everything for a $1,000-a-month ‘freedom dividend’ to every adult in America to legalizing marijuana.
He also supports universal healthcare, free financial counseling, a $1 billion fund to help local journalism, and a ‘news and information ombudsman’ who would battle fake news and have the power to fine ‘egregious’ offenders.
Andrew Yang as his two sons.
Yang has also drawn attention for his opposition to circumcision.
He told The Daily Beast that if elected president he would push initiatives that would inform parents they don’t need to have their infants circumcised for health reasons.
Yang did not disclose whether he was circumcised himself but did say his wife convinced him not to have the procedure formed on their sons.
‘From what I’ve seen, the evidence on it being a positive health choice for the infant is quite shaky,’ he told the publication.
Yang is competing in a dense Democratic primary field that includes former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Cory Booker, Rep. Eric Swalwell, Sec. Julian Castro, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Gov. Jay Inslee, and Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and Rep. Tim Ryan.