Republican pollster Frank Luntz suggested Monday that former President Trump should “focus on helping voters” rather than himself following the former president’s recent threat to legally target individuals he has accused of fraud in the 2020 election.
In a repost on the social platform X of a recent Truth Social post from Trump, Luntz wrote he has “never seen a candidate more determined to blow an election.”
“Instead of talking about affordability and immigration security (the top public issues), Trump is once again screaming about prosecuting his opponents,” he wrote. “Message to Donald: Focus on helping voters, not yourself.”
Luntz’s remarks came one day after Trump in a social media post threatened to prosecute lawyers, political donors and operations should they be found to have “cheated” or conducted “unscrupulous behavior” with regards to voting.
“CEASE & DESIST,” Trump wrote in his post. “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,” he wrote.
“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,” he wrote.
Trump has repeatedly claimed there was widespread fraud in the 2020 election, which he lost to President Biden. He challenged the results in court, which rejected those claims for lack of standing or evidence. The Supreme Court rejected various election challenges.
The former president was criminally charged in Georgia for an alleged scheme to overturn the state’s election results in 2020, and he was indicted federally in Washington, D.C., for his attempts to overturn the election results and remain in power.
This isn’t the first time Luntz has spoken out against Trump’s campaign tactics on the trail this year. Last month, he suggested Trump has the issues on his side, but his “persona” could hurt him in the polls in the race against Vice President Harris.
Luntz said last week he believes this week’s presidential debate “is everything.”
“When the voter sees side by side the two candidates and they listen to what they say, not just the answers, it’s the body language. Is there contempt? Does someone fold their arms? Do they look at the individual when they’re speaking? Do they seem presidential in their approach?” he said.
The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for further comment.
The race between Trump and Harris remains tight, with the vice president ahead by nearly 4 percentage points in a national polling index by Decision Desk HQ/The Hill.
Polls of critical swing states show a very close race between the two candidates, who will square off on the debate stage Tuesday night in Philadelphia. ABC News will host the 90-minute debate, which will begin at 9 p.m. EDT.