Prominent pollster says 'issue agenda favors' Trump, but he should stop being 'so angry' if he wants to beat Harris

Pollster Frank Luntz said Monday that former President Donald Trump leads Vice President Kamala Harris on the issues most important to Americans, but that he must drop his “angry” communication style to defeat her.

Trump is losing to Harris in the key states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan seconds 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 were held today, but that Trump can still be victorious if he modifies his campaign rhetoric.

WATCH:

Renowned pollster says 'issue agenda favors' Trump, but he should stop being 'so angry' if he wants to beat Harris pic.twitter.com/xKOf1zO3xJ

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) August 12, 2024

“He speaks and emphasizes his person, his attributes, his character traits. And this is where Trump has been commenting. And the fact is, the American people don't want to hear the same kind of negativity, the same kind of attacks that he's been doing,” Luntz said. “His strength is in the issues, especially the two issues that inflation and immigration matter. But instead of talking about those two issues and talking about the failures of the Biden administration, he's been making these personal attacks and, frankly, he's turning off the voters he's supposed to be reaching.”

“The key moment here will be the debates when Harris and Trump come together and give alternative points of view,” he added. “I still think he has a reasonable chance of winning because, in the end, the agenda of the issue favors him. But not if you're so angry that you've stopped reflecting the people you're trying to reach.”

New NYT/Siena polls show voters still trust Trump more than Harris to handle immigration and economy. The former president has a 12-point lead over Harris economic questions, seconds to a Wall Street Journal poll at the end of July.

Polls average the NYT compiled show a tight race, with Harris averaging 48% support and Trump averaging 47% nationally as of August 10. The two are tied in Pennsylvania, and Harris has slight leads in Michigan and Wisconsin, according to NYT averages.

Luntz recently he said that Trump could beat Harris if he asks voters if they can “mention one thing she accomplished as vice president.”

“People don't like it when politicians attack each other. Liability? Yes,” Luntz said. “Attacks? No.”

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