Republican strategist Frank Luntz talked on CNN about how the latest ruling, which resulted in Trump having to pay over $350 plus interest, could affect his campaign.
Relying on PAC money and donations
The CNN host, Fredricka Whitfield, asked Luntz, “If he does decide to rely on PAC money and donations to help pay some of those bills, how might that impact his political campaign?” The GOP pollster first pointed out, “This is significant.” Then, he went on to discuss all the obstacles Trump overcame in the past year.
Trump’s a survivor
Luntz pointed out that Trump “survived everything” and elaborated, “He survives felony accounts, 91 of them. He survived court cases. He survived being found guilty already on two different trials, and there are several more to go, and he’s even been kicked off the ballot. And yet he continues to do better and better as time goes on.”
However, there are limits
“Now, make no mistake, Trump’s supporters are willing to follow him to the ends of the earth. He has a greater intensity of support than any candidate I’ve ever seen in my professional career. But the idea that this is going to lawyers to pay off guilty verdicts that may be the beginning, and I’m so careful about saying it,” Luntz cautioned.
The GOP strategist’s warning
Luntz continued, “In the end, I do know that some voters will resent that, will oppose that, and quite frankly, if that’s what happens, Trump is going to have a lot of explaining to do.” He added that donors will be “annoyed, angry” that their money is not going to the campaign but to paying Trump’s legal fees.
Yet, others will continue to support Trump
Whitfield noted that while some might find it resentful to pay for the guilty verdicts, others will gladly do it to help the former president get re-elected. Luntz said some are “willing to give their own finances to keep Donald Trump moving forward.”
Never before seen
Luntz added, “We have not seen this in American politics, and quite frankly, here in the middle of February, we are truly in an uncharted political territory.” The host agreed with the GOP strategist’s assessment of the situation.
House Republicans are in “chaos”
Earlier this week, Luntz issued a warning to the Republicans after Democrat Tom Suozzi flipped George Santos’ seat in the House after defeating Republican candidate Mazi Pilip. He claims this is not a victory for Biden but “a rejection of House Republican chaos.”
Wake-up call
Luntz wrote on X, “Democrats just flipped George Santos’ #NY03 House seat. Tonight is the final wake-up call for the @HouseGOP. If they ignore or attempt to explain away why they lost, they will lose in November as well.”
Luntz on the House GOP behavior
The GOP pollster added, “The issue agenda is on their side. Their congressional behavior is not.” In a separate post, he reminded House GOP, “The NY-03 district hates Biden’s immigration policy and the crime wave in New York. But congressional Republicans gave voters nothing to vote for.”
Democrats celebrated
Biden’s campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, linked the victory to the upcoming presidential race, saying, “Donald Trump lost again tonight. When Republicans run on Trump’s extreme agenda – even in a Republican-held seat — voters reject them.”
Others mentioned “chaos” in the House
Robert Y. Shapiro, a professor at Columbia University, told Newsweek that the “chaos” in the House of Representatives, where the GOP still has a slim majority, allowed Democrats to “recover somewhat on the border issue” by highlighting Republicans “holding things up.”
Other issues
While House Democrats are defending the border issue, Republicans “have been hurt by the abortion issue,” Shapiro noted. Yet, James Battista, an associate professor of political science at the University at Buffalo, believes that the seat was lost due to “MAGA Republicans.” The district would elect “old-style” Republicans, he added in a Newsweek statement.
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