Frank Luntz: ‘Harris Reminds Some Men of Their First Wife; Trump Reminds Women of Their First Husband’s Divorce Lawyer’
(Photo: Reuters)
In a revealing segment on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” conservative pollster Frank Luntz shared insights from his latest focus groups, highlighting a significant shift among conservative voters who are turning away from Donald Trump. The discussions not only exposed growing discontent with the former president but also pointed to Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) as a particularly unpopular choice for a running mate, with many voters expressing strong opposition.
Luntz explained that the focus groups offered no encouraging signs for Trump. In fact, many participants expressed excitement about voting for Vice President Kamala Harris, while others were deeply dissatisfied with Vance. “They are tired of Trump’s abuse and of Trump’s personality,” Luntz told the hosts, emphasizing that this sentiment is especially prevalent among younger women. He noted, “What is unique about them is you’re going to see how many young women are participating now, reports Rolling Stone.
They are the ones that switched. They are the ones who went either from undecided or supporting Kennedy, and you’ve noticed that Kennedy’s numbers have completely imploded.” Luntz highlighted that these young women were previously undecided, or had supported Kennedy or Trump, but now they are enthusiastic about Harris. He observed, “They are so excited about this younger, fresher woman running that you can see it and feel it in their intensity, in their passion, and in their desire for change.”
One focus group participant, a former Trump voter, shared a particularly telling comment: “I actually was a Trump voter in ’16 and ’20, and it was despite his personality and a lot of the other extra issues. However, when he chose J.D. Vance it kind of pushed me over to have an open mind.” This sentiment was echoed by another participant who criticized the direction of the Republican Party, saying, “I don’t want to be taken over by Christian nationalists with Project 2025.
The debate was a disaster, and the RNC looked like a wrestling match, J.D. Vance is probably the most unlikable American I can possibly think of to run our country. I just feel like we need to take the party back, and it’s not going to happen if Trump or another Republican is in office right this second.” Co-host Mika Brzezinski reacted to these revelations, asking Luntz to elaborate on the impact of Vance in this campaign shift.
Luntz responded, “These are ex-Republicans, conservatives who are looking at Trump and his personality, the whole Trump/Vance ticket, and they are saying this is not what I want.” Further explaining the focus group findings, Luntz stated, “Younger women are absolutely focused on that because they see someone who looks like them, and they can’t emphasize that enough. It’s a validation of who they are and what they want to be, and for Trump to be rude about that or abusive about that is a big mistake.” In a sharp concluding remark, Luntz added, “Harris reminds some men of their first wife. Donald Trump reminds women of their first husband’s divorce lawyer, and he needs to back off.”
