Republican pollster Frank Luntz said the race between former President Trump and Vice President Harris is “very close,” despite the large amount of support Harris has garnered since announcing her candidacy.
“Just a week ago, I would have predicted that Donald Trump had essentially won the race. I can’t say that today,” Luntz said. He said Thursday About “Piers Morgan Uncensored.”
“He’s still the favourite to win by a very small margin,” he added.
Luntz noted that there is a “clear and measurable honeymoon” happening between him and Harris that could tip the election in her favor.
President Biden suspended his reelection campaign on Sunday to endorse Harris, sparking a tumultuous week in politics. Within days, revitalized Democrats made record donations to the vice president’s campaign and online memes struck a chord with young voters.
The pollster said the switch between Biden and Harris has thrown the race “into complete disarray and back into disarray.”
“There’s a significant constituency of voters out there right now. Young women who were put off by both candidates are now very excited. Young African-Americans who looked at Donald Trump and felt like maybe they would go back to the Democrats that they’ve voted for for 40 years,” he added.
Luntz also said that while Harris’ candidacy would not change the “fundamental parameters” of the election, her candidacy would likely make it a closer race than Biden versus Trump.
“Don’t get me wrong, when you raise $80 million in one day and thousands of people sign up to volunteer, we take it seriously,” he added. “You can see how important it is.”
The Harris campaign got off to a strong start this week, driving donations and followers online. The campaign released its first video on Thursday, focusing on rights and freedoms. Set to the song “Freedom” by Beyonce, Harris asked viewers what kind of country they want to live in.
Recent polls show Trump narrowly ahead of Harris in several battleground states, including a neck-and-neck race in Wisconsin.
Similarly, Democratic strategist David Axelrod said he believes Trump still has a “significant advantage” over Harris in the election.
