Frank Luntz Says He’s ‘Never Seen a Candidate More Determined to Blow An Election’ Than Trump

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Pollster and former GOP strategist Frank Luntz argued over the weekend that former President Donald Trump’s latest vow to use the power of government to imprison his political opponents was an act of remarkable self-sabotage for his campaign.

“I have never seen a candidate more determined to blow an election,” wrote Luntz while sharing Trump’s wild screed. Luntz added :

Instead of talking about affordability and immigration security (the top public issues), Trump is once again screaming about prosecuting his opponents.

Message to Donald:
Focus on helping voters, not yourself.

Trump’s Saturday evening post to both X and his Truth Social account declared, “CEASE & DESIST: I, together with many Attorneys and Legal Scholars, am watching the Sanctity of the 2024 Presidential Election very closely because I know, better than most, the rampant Cheating and Skullduggery that has taken place by the Democrats in the 2020 Presidential Election. It was a Disgrace to our Nation!”

The GOP nominee for president added, “Therefore, the 2024 Election, where Votes have just started being cast, will be under the closest professional scrutiny and, WHEN I WIN, those people that CHEATED will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law, which will include long term prison sentences so that this Depravity of Justice does not happen again. We cannot let our Country further devolve into a Third World Nation, AND WE WON’T! Please beware that this legal exposure extends to Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters, & Corrupt Election Officials. Those involved in unscrupulous behavior will be sought out, caught, and prosecuted at levels, unfortunately, never seen before in our Country.”

Trump was widely condemned for the post, which critics argue has the hallmarks of authoritarian leadership and would undermine the independence of the Department of Justice.

Luntz continued his horse race analysis and wrote, “Heading into the home stretch, Trump’s campaign is pretty good this time. His campaign operations are better than 2016 and 2020… But he is not.”

Trump, who is still within striking distance in the polls of the White House and the favorite to win according to Nate Silver , has advantages in the current political climate, according to Luntz. “The issues are still working in his favor. But if Trump behaves baldly on Tuesday, he will lose the debate… And the election. And he’ll have no one to blame but himself,” he argued, concluding:

As Gov. Chris Sununu says:
“You can’t have something stolen from you if you’ve already given it away.”

Read Luntz’s full thread here.