Yang fourth-most-tweeted-about Democrat during debate despite not qualifying

Businessman Andrew Yang was the fourth-most-tweeted-about candidate during the first Democratic presidential primary debate of 2020 despite not qualifying to take the stage Tuesday, according to Twitter.

Mentions of Yang on Twitter Tuesday evening ranked higher than several Democratic candidates onstage, including South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), as well as billionaire Tom Steyer, according to Twitter Government.

Yang ranked behind Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) as well as former Vice President Joe Biden in Twitter mentions, and he ranked just behind those three as well as President Trump and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Twitter Government’s ranking of the most-tweeted-about U.S. politicians Tuesday night.

These were the most Tweeted about US politicians during tonight’s #DemDebate. pic.twitter.com/vDuDUfH4Xp

— TwitterGov (@TwitterGov) January 15, 2020

Yang failed to qualify for the debate after protesting for weeks that newer polls showing his rising support were not being commissioned in early primary states such as New Hampshire.

“If the DNC [Democratic National Committee] had only done their due diligence and commissioned polls in the early states, Andrew Yang would certainly be on the debate stage next week. We are not going to allow the DNC to dictate who they wish to see as the nominee and deny the will of the people,” his campaign manager said in a statement before the debate.

Yang appeared to take missing Tuesday’s contest in stride, saying afterward: “That’s the last debate I’ll miss.”

That’s the last debate I’ll miss.

— Andrew Yang (@AndrewYang) January 15, 2020

His campaign, meanwhile, echoed criticism of the debate-stage lineup from media commentators afterward, including CNN’s Van Jones, who said he “missed Andrew Yang” after the debate ended.

Van Jones “I gotta say this, I missed Andrew Yang tonight.” #AmericaNeedsYang pic.twitter.com/zjWLBn7JEy

— Andrew Yang Fan Page (@AndrewYangFanP1) January 15, 2020