Pollster Frank Luntz said on Friday that former President Donald Trump’s selection of Republican Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his vice presidential candidate could be crucial to winning the election.
Trump picked Vance as his running mate, announcing the decision on the first day of the Republican National Committee’s convention, and has stressed the senator’s dedication to “fight for the worker.” Luntz, on “Inside Politics,” said Vance appeals to “paycheck to paycheck voters,” who he described as “the most important segment of the population” for the election after CNN host Phil Mattingly asked if he thinks Vance was “a mistake” for Trump. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: ‘You Can’t Stop Him’: Trump World Reacts To Assassination Attempt On Former President)
WATCH:
‘He’s Credible’: Pollster Frank Luntz Dumps Cold Water On Claims JD Vance Was Bad VP Choice For Trump pic.twitter.com/9QixciArhg
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) July 26, 2024
“He chose to double down. And J.D. Vance comes from the background that Trump’s focusing on, so he’s credible. And he’s got the language because this is how he grew up,” Luntz said. “To me, the most important segment of the population, the one that makes or breaks, are these paycheck to paycheck voters, people who have jobs, they’ve been working, they may not be college graduates and they’re struggling. And it represents one-fourth of the American electorate. Normally, they vote Democrat over Republican by about two to one. Trump brought it to three to two, even closer. That segment, if they break for Harris, she’s the next president. If Trump can keep them, he’s the next president.”
“J.D. Vance appeals to them because … it’s who he was. It’s not a segment we talk about. It’s not a segment we see. I get them in focus groups because I go out to these states, but they are really suffering,” he continued. “The economy is not doing well for them. These are not shareholders, these are not people who have a cushion. If they get fired or one check doesn’t work, they could lose their homes, they could lose their cars. And we are very sympathetic towards them as a country. Watch, because I think that’s going to be the focus going forward.”
Several articles have cited conservatives and political scientists suggesting Trump selecting Vance was an error.
Democratic strategist James Carville on Thursday suggested he believes Trump is dissatisfied with choosing Vance, and disclosed his fantasies about the former president’s rage, particularly at his son.
“I have to tell you, I take unbelievable pleasure in his misery,” Carville said. “I fantasize about how he’s throwing shit at walls and ketchups and plates. And screaming at Don Jr. and screaming at everybody. It makes me feel so good. It’s a certain amount of peace that I get.”
Vance called himself a “never-Trump guy” in 2016, but his perception of Trump transformed and he endorsed the Republican nominee for president in 2020. The vice presidential nominee issued a formal apology in 2021 for his previous statement about Trump.
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