Frank Luntz: Trump’s GOP made 'cardinal mistake of politics'

On Tuesday morning, just before the polls opened for Election Day, a leading Republican pollster revealed his findings after speaking with a panel of people who voted for President Donald Trump in 2024 but are now voting for Democrats in the midterms. Appearing on CNN, conservative analyst Frank Luntz explained that Trump’s support has soured due to a combination of broken promises and his disastrous impact on the country — and warned that the president may seek "revenge" if the midterms don't go his way.

After Luntz revealed that the majority of the panel was voting against the GOP rather than necessarily for the Democratic Party, one panelist’s response seemed to sum up the sentiments of those who have turned on Trump. As he explained, “My vote is anti-Republican because back when I voted for Trump, I felt like the Democrats at that point were ineffective. So my position is, I want to give them another chance. I'm not going down the Republican route because I've seen how this country has gone in two years. I've never seen a country go down so far, so fast.”

According to Luntz, the top reasons panelists offered for defecting were “promises that were not kept,” and the raging affordability crisis. “In the end,” said Luntz, “it was overpromising and under-delivering. It's the cardinal mistake of politics. If I make a commitment to you, if I look you straight in the eye, I'm expected to deliver. And they feel like the Republicans did not deliver.”

He went on to note that Americans do not feel like those in power are attentive to their suffering. “In the end,” Luntz explained, “the public doesn't believe the media. The public doesn't believe Congress. They don't believe the Supreme Court. They don't believe anything anymore.” In light of the apparent lack of consideration from political leadership, Luntz is worried about what comes after the midterms, especially if the president’s party receives the major losses that have been forecasted. “What kind of democracy are we going to have?” asks Luntz. “What kind of commitment are we going to give to the future? And I'm nervous that the people in Washington will use this as an excuse to get even, to seek revenge, when what we're asking for is, seek solutions.”

Polling suggests that Republicans will lose their majority in the House and possibly the Senate, while losing key gubernatorial offices, and should the Democrats emerge victorious, Luntz offered the party some advice based on his conversations with voters. “Don't start with impeachment because that'll just prove that you're as political as the Republicans,” advises Luntz. “Do something with affordability. Do something with quality of life. But don't be political. Don't be partisan. And I know that Democrats will be watching here right now, and they're going to say, I want to get even. I want to hold them accountable. The key is to do something for [voters’] day-to-day life to make a meaningful, measurable difference.”