(DCNF)—Pollster Frank Luntz said Monday that former Democratic voters who supported President Donald Trump in 2024 are responding positively to the rapid pace of his new administration.
CNN anchor Brianna Keilar noted on “CNN News Central” that Luntz runs numerous focus groups and that he has been talking to “a number of voters who were Hillary Clinton 2016, Joe Biden 2020 and then went for Trump in 2024.” When Keilar asked how these voters perceive Trump’s second term so far, Luntz responded, “pretty well,” emphasizing their appreciation for decisive action in Washington.
“They’re reacting to it because they love the pace of change. They were very fed up over the last four years. They wanted action. They wanted results. They looked at prices. They looked at affordability. They looked at immigration. And they didn’t see anything happening,” Luntz said. “They still don’t like what he says, but they like what he does. And these are Democrats now who felt that they were not securing the border. They were doing nothing to prevent illegal immigration, that nothing was actually happening.”
Trump immediately took action after being sworn in to his second term on Jan. 20, signing over 200 executive actions within 12 hours, addressing issues ranging from the border crisis to the economy.
“They wanted to see a reduction in wasteful Washington spending. And they’re seeing that. So what they tell me is, ‘I wish he would be a little bit less rude,’ but at the same time, they like what he’s doing,” Luntz continued. “They believe he’s serious about it. And for the first time, they have confidence in the future, which is why you now see some significant shifts in the polling about the expectations for the direction in the coming years.”
Trump has made cutting waste a major part of his administration, backing Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Chairman Elon Musk in his efforts to do so. DOGE’s X account regularly posts updates containing specific information regarding how it is cutting the federal government’s spending.
“It’s a big wake-up call for Democrats,” Keilar responded to Luntz.
“I’m waiting for them to get a message. I’m waiting for them to unify and to understand that to oppose and to be the resistance, which is what some of them use that phrase,” the pollster said. “That’s not what Democrats in grassroots areas want from them. They may not want the approach that Trump is doing … but they do want action and they don’t see action from the Democrats.”
Trump has been moving so fast that Democratic strategist James Carville said during a Thursday podcast that he is stumped about how to counter him.
“I don’t know how you accentuate. Do you oppose one thing? Do you oppose all five? Is it a personnel issue?” Carville asked. “Is it a policy issue? … I’m struggling here a little bit, so maybe some of our really smart viewers can help us untangle it a little bit. It’s really tangled now because no one knows where to land. It’s all too incomprehensible.”
Democratic lawmakers also appear split on how they should oppose Trump’s agenda, with some advocating to resist everything while others seem willing to cross the aisle.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
]]>
(DCNF)—Pollster Frank Luntz said Wednesday that President Joe Biden calling former President Donald Trump’s supporters “garbage” could influence the few remaining persuadable voters.
Biden made the comment during a Tuesday Zoom call with the organization Voto Latino after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe referred to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” at Trump’s Sunday Madison Square Garden rally. Luntz, on “CNN News Central,” argued Biden’s remark holds greater weight than Hinchcliffe’s because he is the president, adding that it was “inappropriate” even if people interpret it differently.
“It’s gonna be huge because this is not some comedian saying something stupid and offensive at a rally where he should have been just basically disinvited. This is the president of the United States endorsing his vice president saying something, and I know that there’s different interpretations about what he said,” Luntz said. “It’s still inappropriate. He still shouldn’t be doing it and I’ve watched Trump already seize this.”
“The basket of deplorables was significant, was meaningful in 2016. In 2024, I can promise you that this is gonna drive Trump turnout,” he added. “He’s doing it already … I’m sure there’s going to be ads on as soon as tonight about this. This may be a turning point for those final 3%, and that’s all it is, who still need to be persuaded.”
Trump currently leads Vice President Kamala Harris slightly in five of the top seven battleground states, with Harris only holding narrow advantages in Michigan and Wisconsin, according to RealClearPolling averages.
“And just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a ‘floating island of garbage.’ Well, let me tell you something … I don’t know the Puerto Rican that I know — or a Puerto Rico, where I’m — in my home state of Delaware, they’re good, decent, honorable people,” Biden said Tuesday. “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American. It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.”
Biden tried to clarify his comments in an X post Tuesday night following criticism, claiming he was referencing Hinchcliffe’s “hateful rhetoric” rather than all Trump supporters.
The White House first published a transcript that recorded Biden saying “supporters’,” with a plural possessive apostrophe. It subsequently changed the transcript to read “supporter’s,” suggesting that Biden was only referring to Hinchcliffe.