President Donald Trump and his allies are projecting confidence in the President's ability to secure a second term in November, even amid consistently grim polling numbers.
But at least one veteran Republican pollster thinks the campaign's constant gaffes and emphasis on issues unimportant to the American public could be its downfall in the presidential election only 13 days away.
In a meeting with the British strategic group Global Counsel, Republican pollster and strategist Frank Luntz decried the Trump campaign for its ineptitude.
According to The Hill, Luntz said:
"I've never seen a campaign more miscalibrated than the Trump campaign. Frankly, his staff ought to be brought up on charges of political malpractice."
He continued:
"It is the worst campaign I've ever seen, and I've been watching them since 1980. They're on the wrong issues. They're on the wrong message. They've got their heads up their asses. Your damn job is to get your candidate to talk about things that are relevant to the people you need to reach. And if you can't do your damn job then get out."
The Trump campaign has recently been pushing a piece from the New York Post claiming to prove that Democratic nominee Joe Biden's son, Hunter, orchestrated meetings between his then-Vice President father and executives at the Ukrainian oil company, Burisma.
But the reporting is soured by credibility issues. The unauthenticated screenshots of emails supplied by Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy GIuliani, supposedly came from a laptop repairman whose story has changed multiple times and who cited conspiracy theories that Hillary Clinton had campaign officials murdered.
Luntz excoriated the campaign's focus on Hunter Biden:
"Hunter Biden does not help put food on the table. Hunter Biden does not help anyone get a job. Hunter Biden does not provide health care or solve COVID. And Donald Trump spends all of his time focused on that and nobody cares."
Twitter users responded to Luntz's takedown.
BWAHAHAAAAAAAAAAA the most honest statement I've read in months!
— Skarlet Karson (@IdesKat315) October 21, 2020
Good
— Jackie Glass (@theJudgeGlass) October 21, 2020
Trump doesn't listen to anything. They could have the best advisers in the business and the campaign would still be the same. This is 100% trump's show. It has his idiocy written all over it.
— S Smith (@SSmith51300228) October 21, 2020
I started hating Trump back in my Fox News days when GWB was president. Trump was on FN a lot and almost always bashing Bush for whatever he had done recently. I realized then that Trump's only "platform" is to bash others and pump himself up. This is his MO.
— Tim (@Timtheskeptic1) October 21, 2020
It's not their fault...the clown on the ticket calls all the shots and, he's a moron...what would anyone expect but failure.
— Mel Coleman (@melfly1) October 21, 2020
Quite frankly, the entire Trump team top to bottom has had their head up their a** since DAY ONE#IsTodayAnythingDifferent
— Lupe Delgado (@LDbuildz) October 21, 2020
Some of Trump's supporters dismissed Luntz's criticisms.
Not surprising coming from this never-Trumper.
— David (@David19550724) October 21, 2020
That means he doing a good job.
— Lee Michael (@LeeMich83) October 21, 2020
Luntz is a lib. Nothin to see here
— BSway (@BSuever) October 21, 2020
It won't be until November that we know if Trump's campaign was successful.
