[APPLAUSE] REPORTER: YOU CAN TELL BY THE CROWDS THIS HOLIDAY WEEK THAT THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING FOR ANDREW YANG IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

JUST HOW BIG IT IS, NO ONE KNOWS.

BUT SITTING DOWN FOR AN INTERVIEW THAT WILL AIR ON " “CLOSEUP” THIS SUNDAY, THE CANDIDATE WAS BRIMMING WITH CONFIDENCE

>> LET'S PLAY THE EXPECTATIONS GAME HERE.

WHAT DOES A WIN LOOK LIKE FOR ANDREW YANG?

>> WE ARE SEEING SO MUCH STRENGTH AND ENERGY HERE.

I THINK WE WILL SHOCK THE WORLD.

I THINK WE CAN CONTEND HERE.

REPORTER: YANG HAS NOT QUALIFIED FOR THE DEBATE STAGE, AND THE JANUARY DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE RECENTLY REJECTED HIS CALL FOR NEW POLLING THAT COULD HELP HIM.

>> IF YOU LOOK AT IT, THERE HAS NOT BEEN A QUALIFYING POLL HERE FOR A MONTH AND A HALF.

WE KNOW A LOT CAN CHANGE IN A MONTH AND A HALF.

AND SO TO ME, THE MESSAGE TO THE DNC SHOULD BE THIS IS A DEMOCRACY, AND WE NEED TO HEAR WHAT THE PEOPLE THINK.

REPORTER: YANG HAS BUILT HIS BASE OF SUPPORT LARGELY OUTSIDE OF THE DEBATES, BUT MISSING THE NEXT TWO ROUNDS COULD MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.

>> IT COULD POSSIBLY BE SORT OF A SHORT CIRCUIT OF THE MOMENTUM HE HAS BUILT UP OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS AND MONTHS REPORTER: EVEN SO, YANG JUST NOTCHED A NOTABLE $16.5 MILLION

FUNDRAISING QUARTER TO CLOSE THE YEAR, MONEY HE SAYS HE WILL PLOW INTO THE EARLY STATES.

>> BECAUSE YOU KNOW I'M STILL NEW TO MANY AMERICANS, PEOPLE ARE STILL GETTING TO KNOW ME, SO WE'RE GOING TO HOPEFULLY MAKE THAT E