Pollster Frank Luntz issues ‘warning to Canadians’ after Trump indictment

For more on the Trump indictment we’ve reached long-time pollster and political strategist Frank Luntz Mr Luntz was on this show during the January 6th attack on Capitol Hill Frank thanks very much for joining us well hopefully I will not be as emotional today as I was that evening

Yeah you you were emotional it was an emotional evening you were describing it as a disgrace what was happening in the United States you were angry at Donald Trump who was then the president and now here we are those two and a half years later he’s facing criminal charges quite

A few of them this time over his role uh in the event that day so your thoughts now but here’s the problem I stayed up all night into the morning listening to our cable news networks describe what was happening and you had one completely different scenario on one network than

You had on another Network or the third network it’s not that we disagree with Solutions we just or disagree with the problems we don’t even agree on the same facts anymore and depending on where you get your news it’s frankly to affirm rather than inform and I don’t

Know how you address that I don’t know how you bring people back together and most importantly with what has happened with President Trump I don’t know how you instill accountability anymore can you see to put it bluntly can you see a future a bright future for your country

Nah let’s put it the other way could this be the beginning and the end um and it’s now conceivable it’s the same thing I feel towards AI there’s a 10 likelihood that everything goes to hell last night I’m listing on some of these news networks as people are swearing as

They’re talking in a way that I’ve never heard Americans talk on television before everything that I thought was impossible is now happening so if you ask me how bad can it get I don’t know but I know it can be a lot worse and I know that whatever happens here is

Coming to you all maybe five years down the road and um it’s a very sad day what are your thoughts on how this indictment how the charges that Trump is facing could further polarize politics in the United States well on if you listen to the conservatives their complaint with the

Indictment is that is basically weaponizing communication and to be specific they’re claiming that this is all about they’re acknowledging that the truth was not told let’s be more blunt they’re acknowledging that Trump told the lie but they’re saying that it’s not illegal and on the left the the analysis is that Donald Trump

Attempted to undo the democracy and actually created the environment where these things on January 6 did happen and that he knew that what he was saying was not just wrong was dishonest and he said him anyway and that that had a really negative impact on the things

That followed the legal experts I speak to tell me that of all the indictments this is the worst of all the indictments this one is most likely to have an impact because it happened while he was president the other issues happen either before or after this was while he was in the Oval

Office and what does that say about the strength of our democracy well maybe it’s a positive because they’re holding him accountable but the very fact that this happened is really problematic and there is a very strong possibility that Donald Trump will be back in the white house it’s a near certainty he’s

Going to win uh the GOP nomination he in current polling at least looks basically neck and neck with the current President Joe Biden do you think his supporters Republican supporters generally care about these charges no and that’s one of the things we found in our focus groups is that Republicans

Are prepared to dismiss it because they don’t see that the Biden Administration is being held to the same standard and that’s what I said to you about accountability and how important that is you cannot weaponize Washington which is exactly what they’ve done the Republicans tried to destroy the

Democrats the Democrats tried to destroy the Republicans you know it gets destroyed the 337 million Americans and our democracy in the process Trump is more likely than not to win the Republican nomination is dead even with Joe Biden and all the work that we’ve done

And the thing that I raise is that Joe Biden is already 80 years old and Donald Trump is already even with him even with all these indictments and there may be more to come we’re not done yet there are two other cases that are working their way through Trump may have

Four or even five trials between now and election day um do those make them stronger it it seems like every single time there are new charges that there’s a louder cry and that his poll numbers actually go up is this making him stronger yes because people see him as being a

Victim and he plays the victim card incredibly well and what has happened because it’s one after another after another it now looks like it’s not these being prosecuted but that is being persecuted and there’s one thing that happens I want to draw an insight for your viewers Trump

Gets the bully pulpit for three or four or five days from the moment you hear about the indictment until he answers it he controls the airwaves you can’t describe what’s written in it you can’t you can’t make the case for why Trump is guilty before he makes

The case for why he’s innocent so those three or four or five days are absolutely essential Trump gets the control in the narrative so by the time the indictment actually hits you’ve heard everything from Donald Trump but you haven’t heard the reason why he’s being indicted and I think that

That process is hurting the government I think it’s hurting our judicial system but I have to give you one caveat which is that you can prosecute anyone in this country the justice department absolutely has been shown to take a um zeal at prosecution and they will throw everything at bringing somebody down

And Trump has been able to show that in his defense and it shows once again that these elements of American democracy are under severe pressure and they could break so I got less than a minute left with you but we began this discussion by talking of

Course about January 6 you were on this program on that day uh the Trump trump is now facing these indictments because of that do you see that happening again I do see it happening again it’s one of the reasons why I do the show I’ve worked in Canada I’ve spent a lot of

Time across the border I appreciate the kindness and generosity of your population it’s the way America Used to Be before we became so angry and so bitter this is my warning to Canadians don’t follow this course there’s something to be said about listening and learning from people there’s something to be said

About engaging the population and actually getting things done but not what you mean not where you’re crude not where you’re rude or vicious that Civility and decency are essential on both sides of the Border please Canada don’t follow America I can’t believe I’m saying it but I believe it don’t follow

Where We Are Franklin thank you very much for your time thank you

Pollster & political strategist Frank Luntz joins Power and Politics to discuss Trump’s indictment and what it could mean for the upcoming U.S. presidential election. ‘This is my warning to Canadians, please Canada, don’t follow America,’ Luntz said. ‘Civility and decency are essential on both sides of the border.’

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