Republican pollster Frank Luntz on Friday gave former President Donald Trump a 10-word question to ask voters about his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris amid this year’s presidential election.
President Joe Biden stepped down from the presidential race in an unprecedented move on July 21 then quickly endorsed Harris. On Friday, Harris formally became the Democratic Party‘s presumptive presidential nominee, making history as the first Black and first Asian woman to receive the nomination of a major U.S. political party.
Trump, meanwhile, became the GOP’s presidential nominee during the Republican National Convention last month in Milwaukee.
In an interview with Los Angeles’ Fox 11 on Friday with host Elex Michaelson, Luntz was asked, “So, what’s the word choice for Trump against Harris?”
Luntz replied: “Can you name one thing she accomplished as vice president?” However, he then claimed that Trump is “incapable” of making that his core case against Harris.
“All of these Trump voters are going to say, ‘You’re so mean, you’re so partisan and you don’t like him so you’re going to criticize him.’ But just once can he answer a question with 10 words, or answer with a ‘yes’ or ‘no?’ Or just once, can he answer anything without delivering an attack?” Luntz asked.
The interview on Fox 11’s The Issue Is program was recorded at Luntz’s Los Angeles-area home, which features a scale replica of the Oval Office.
Luntz, who has provided polling and strategy for a number of high-profile Republicans over the years, went on to critique Harris’ performance on the issue of immigration.
“Can you name one thing she accomplished as Vice President?” @FrankLuntz suggests what he thinks would be Donald Trump’s most effective message against Kamala Harris.
“She did nothing.” @Elex_Michaelson hosts @TheIssueIsShow pic.twitter.com/VRDbN5Nr9v
— The Issue Is (@TheIssueIsShow) August 3, 2024
“And it’s a legit criticism. She was No. 2 in the country and given the responsibility for immigration. Now, I’m going to upset the other side. How is her immigration working out?” has asked.
Michaelson pushed back and said, “Her [Harris’] folks would say she was asked to investigate the root cause of immigration issues.”
Luntz quickly interrupted and said, “And what did she do there? How successful has she been? What else did Joe Biden task her to do?”
Trump has repeatedly referred to Harris as a failed “border czar” in attacks online and during speeches at his campaign rallies, although she never officially held this title.
On Thursday, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance visited the U.S.-Mexico border and repeated claims that Harris was responsible for illegal crossings, crime caused by migrants and fentanyl deaths, part of a GOP strategy to tie the vice president to what they say is the current administration’s failings on immigration.
Trump was reportedly behind the nixing of a bipartisan bill in Congress that would have boosted funding for the southern border and increased security earlier this year.
The Harris campaign has hit back at criticism from the Trump-Vance campaign, saying she would reintroduce that bill. The VP’s latest ad said she supported increasing the number of border patrol agents, as well as new technology to detect fentanyl and prevent it entering the country.
Encounters at the border have decreased in recent months, partially down to new restrictions on asylum introduced by Biden in early June.
Newsweek has emailed the Trump and Harris campaign Saturday afternoon for comment.
Meanwhile, Luntz’s analysis was met with some criticism on social media.
“This is unusually dumb. Even for Frank Luntz. Vice Presidents NEVER ‘accomplish’ things. Administrations do. The VP is part of the administration and is part of every accomplishment, but the President always gets the credit, for obvious reasons. This question is silly,” former Democratic state Senator Daylin Leach of Pennsylvania wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Conversely, Luntz says Harris could defeat Trump by asking one question about the former president to undecided voters: “Is this as good as it gets? It’s inherent in who we are as Americans…we want to do better.”
Since Harris launched her campaign last month, polls have been largely positive for her. They show that she has narrowed the gap on Trump compared to when Biden was on the ticket.
Polls have also shown the vice president leading in multiple swing states that could play a pivotal role in deciding the election in November.
Looking at certain swing states, which typically decide the election, Harris is up in Pennsylvania; although only by less than a point (45.3 to 44.8 percent); Wisconsin by 1.2 points (46 to 44.8 percent) and Michigan by 2.4 points (45.2 to 42.8 percent). Meanwhile, Trump leads the vice president in the battleground states of Georgia (46.3 to 44.8 percent), North Carolina (46.7 to 44.7 percent), Arizona (46.3 to 43.8 percent) and Nevada (43.9 to 42.6 percent).
