LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Veteran pollster and political consultant Frank Luntz. He joins me now to take a closer look at how last night's address might have played with undecided or independent voters. Frank, thank you for joining us. Sorry about that.
FRANK LUNTZ: Well, it's an honor. Thank you.
FADEL: So going into this address, an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found that two-thirds of independents say the State of the Union is not strong. Did the president's address hit a reset with independent voters who may have chose him in 2024 and no longer approve?
LUNTZ: It was a speech to the Trump faithful from beginning to end. And, in fact, I tweeted out in the first two minutes just how unifying he was when the speech opened up. But that is not how the speech continued or ended. In the end, it was the most confrontational State of the Union that I've ever seen. And I think that's the challenge because independents have soured on politics, they've soured on the economy and, frankly, they've soured on the country.
FADEL: You said it started out unifying and turned into what you saw as one of the most confrontational, or if - the most confrontational State of the Union address. What made it that way? And does the president not think he has to appeal to a larger part of America than just his core base?
LUNTZ: I think he sees his core base as his electorate and that it is his responsibility to keep his promises to them, to address them, to let them know that they matter. And that's why they've stayed with him. But when you focus on independents, on people in the center, they're looking at affordability, and they believe it. They believe that prices have gone up for housing and health care. And the president spend a lot of time focusing on where prices have come down. But in the end, as one of those voters noted, perception is reality, and if you think prices are higher, you're going to punish the administration and the party in power.
FADEL: So the midterms are coming up in eight months. Given the tone of the State of the Union address, do you think that he was able to appeal to a wider group of Americans at all, and will that hurt - the fact that you don't see it that way, will that hurt him and his party in the midterms?
LUNTZ: In the end, the midterms have a lower turnout, and so you have to get your voters to the polls. And I do believe that the way the president agitated and the way that he framed his stuff - for example, when he asked people - asked members of Congress to stand up if you believe the American government is - primarily (ph) responsibility is to protect American citizens not illegal aliens, probably 80% of Americans would agree with that. So that was a very positive tone in turning out his voters.
But people in the center are not looking for performance, they're looking for reality. And what they're asking of the president is to focus on these challenges and make things start to happen. I'm frightened for the democracy. To be really candid with you, this division is getting to the point where it's going to start to affect our day-to-day lives.
FADEL: Say more about that - the tone of the speech. How do you see that translating into the day-to-day lives of Americans?
LUNTZ: Well, I used to be a political consultant, and so I recognize the tactics that he used. And it was tactics that 20, 25 years ago I was recommending. But at a certain point, when I start to see people unable to talk to each other, unable to listen, the fact that 40% of Americans have actually lost friends and lost compatriots because things are so divisive, and half of Americans will no longer raise issues that they're concerned about because they're afraid of being canceled. When I see results like that, I get concerned. And this and the yelling on - from the representatives and the language that the president used, both of them were problematic. And I think problem is...
FADEL: And you're referring to the Democrats yelling at the president during the speech?
LUNTZ: That's correct. And I think at some point, we have to say, enough, with an exclamation point.
FADEL: Beyond the divisions in this country, which are scary, when you think just strategically, does the president not think he needs Americans beyond his core base to win not just the midterms, but the next presidential election?
LUNTZ: He should, and they all should. But I do want to emphasize for the people who listen to this show - because you have an incredible listening base - that they're not looking for the next election, that they're looking for the next generation, and they simply want these people to tone it down and get it done.
FADEL: Pollster and political consultant Frank Luntz. Thank you, as always, for your time.
LUNTZ: Thank you.
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