Pollster Frank Luntz on Monday said former President Donald Trump is leading Vice President Kamala Harris on the most important issues to Americans, but must cease his “angry” communication style to defeat her.
Trump is losing to Harris in the key swing states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan according to a set of The New York Times/Siena College polls released Saturday. Luntz, on “CNN News Central,” said Harris “would win” if the election took place today, but that Trump can still be victorious if he modifies his campaign rhetoric.
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“She’s talking and emphasizing her persona, her attributes, her character traits. And that’s where Trump has been commenting on. And the fact is the American people do not want to hear the same kind of negativity, the same kind of attacks that he’s been delivering,” Luntz said. “His strength is on issues, most particularly the two issues that matter most, inflation and immigration. But instead of speaking about those two issues and talking about the failures of the Biden administration, he’s been making these personal attacks and it’s frankly turning the voters off that he needs to reach.”
“The key moment here is going to be the debates when Harris and Trump stand side-by-side and give the alternative points of view,” he added. “I still think he has a reasonable chance of winning, because in the end, the issue agenda favors him. But not if you’re so angry that you’ve stopped reflecting the people you’re trying to reach.”
The new NYT/Siena polls show that voters still trust Trump more than Harris on handling immigration and the economy. The former president holds a 12-point lead over Harris on economic issues, according to a late July Wall Street Journal poll.
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Polling averages the NYT compiled show a close race, with Harris averaging 48% support and Trump averaging 47% nationally as of Aug. 10. The two are tied in Pennsylvania and Harris has slight advantages in Michigan and Wisconsin, according to the NYT averages.
Luntz recently said that Trump could beat Harris if he asks voters if they can “name one thing she accomplished as Vice President.”
“People don’t like it when politicians attack each other. Accountability? Yes,” Luntz said. “Attacks? No.”
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First published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.