Pollster: Vice President Harris Chose Wrong Time to Go Negative


Pollster Frank Luntz said Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris might have waited too long to tell Americans how she would govern immediately should she win November 5 instead of using the waning days of her campaign to turn negative against GOP presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump.

“The public wants to know more,” said Luntz, according to a transcript of his appearance on “CNN Newsroom” on Monday. “They want to know what she will do on her first day, in her first week, in her first month. And the campaign is going more and more negative on Trump, using Trump’s own words against him, but it’s a focus on Trump rather than herself.” 

“At what point is she going to tell the American people what she’s about? At what point is she going to get specific and detail-oriented? Who wins and who loses? I think that that’s the most important attribute right now. And I don’t see it happening,” said Luntz.

Voters know everything about Trump, little about Harris

According to Luntz, with Election Day approaching next week, voters know everything they need about the former president but not Harris, and he doesn’t understand why.

“We really should be talking about Vice President Harris,” said Luntz. “Why has she not caught on? What’s holding her back? She had one of the most successful launches of any presidential candidate in modern history. She went from 5 points behind to 3 points up in a matter of weeks. And then she turns on Trump, and her campaign stops being about what she’s going to do and starts being about what he’s done and will do.” 

“And I note that it just froze right there. And, in fact, she’s probably retrenched, a point or two since she hit her peak,” said Luntz.

Vice President Harris has recently laid out an agenda for Latino and Black men, but Luntz wondered, “What about a program for all Americans?”

“What is going to happen with affordability,” said Luntz. “What’s going to happen with the border? The two biggest issues, immigration and affordability?”

“She’s done an excellent job on focusing on the abortion issue, on the women’s health issues, and even on healthcare, but those aren’t the No. 1 and No. 2 issues for all of America, and she still hasn’t said what she’s going to do unless I missed it,” Luntz continued. “And she’s only got seven days to go. I’m wondering if she’s too late.”