‘Strong’: Why some men say they’ll vote for Trump

{INTRO}

{TC: 3:35 –  4:12}

 

I’m Dr Frank Luntz, the host of America speaks right here on straight arrow news. Listen carefully what you’re about to see may be the key to election 2024 male voters, all in their 30s, 40s and 50s, all supporters of Hillary Clinton in 2016 or Joe Biden in 2020 or both, and all of them now backing Donald Trump in 2024 why the Switch? Why support Donald Trump this time. Why the largest gender gap in modern election history? The answers may surprise you. So buckle up and listen up to America’s key swing voters.

 

{WIPE}

{01 Why are you supporting Trump}

{TRT: 5:02}

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  0:00  

The people on the Zoom are arguably the most important voters in America today. The election is only a few days away. As a way of understanding who you are by show of hands. How many of you voted for Hillary Clinton back in 2016 Raise your hands. That is almost everyone. How many of you voted for Joe Biden in 2020 raise your hands once again, almost everyone. How many of you voted for both Clinton and Biden? Raise your hands. That’s more than half of you. And yet now you’re supporting Donald Trump. And I want to understand why Sean from Georgia, why Trump now?

 

Speaker 1  0:35  

I think it extends beyond political rhetoric to say that we have seen four years of America last or close to it, and I don’t want to see any more of it. I’m tired of seeing other outside sources and countries and people being given priority, and I frankly, don’t want to see four more years of what we’ve seen now.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  0:56  

Thomas why Trump?

 

Speaker 2  0:58  

I believe that he can take care of the migrant gang problem that’s been going on in America.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  1:04  

Ryan from California, once again, why Trump?

 

Speaker 1  1:08  

Because he’s running on issues that are important to me. The immigration is a big deal. We’ve all seen it. Crime is a huge problem. And I’m, you know, there are things about Donald Trump I don’t like, but I really do believe he’s the only one that can

 

Unknown Speaker  1:19  

has the balls to do what needs to be

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  1:21  

done. Dan, you voted Democrat in the past, but you’re choosing Trump now.

 

Unknown Speaker  1:26  

Why the economy, inflation,

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  1:28  

and specifically, what about the economy and

 

Speaker 1  1:30  

inflation, gas prices, in prices of groceries, and the interest rates you can’t you can’t borrow money at the same rates when Trump was president. Jason,

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  1:40  

same question, why company voted Democratic in the past? After

 

Speaker 3  1:44  

Trump got elected in 2016 I saw like a dramatic shift in the Democratic Party. I’ve always considered myself a moderate, and I haven’t really changed, but the party is moving very far to the left and abandoning all of its former principles, especially for the rights of individuals, from free speech to freedom of assembly and the role of government, they’ve completely abandoned it. And so it’s like, I’m kind of left here in the middle, and Trump best represents not being tied down to the establishment. Aaron, why

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  2:16  

Trump? I

 

Speaker 4  2:17  

think he did great for the border. Sticks to his word. He has a personality that I think is very easy to kind of follow along with and kind of back. He’s a family man. Um, he just seems like the right guy.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  2:32  

He’s a family man. Do you want to? Do you really want to stay with that? I

 

Speaker 4  2:37  

mean, he has a lot of family. He brings him onto his onto his cabinet. I mean, it seems like it can be meant to me.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  2:43  

William, from Texas, why Trump and why now? Well,

 

Speaker 5  2:47  

because, for one, he doesn’t put up with no BS from no one, and he actually knows what American people need and what they want, and he can deliberate no matter what, because he has friends and allies everywhere. Jason,

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  2:59  

you’re from Indiana, the center of the country. Why Trump and why now the

 

Speaker 6  3:03  

Democrat Party? Kamala Harris really is too far left. And when you have the the two candidates, you may not want either one of them, really, but one is much worse than the other, and she’s in charge of the border, like all the other guys said, and the border is wide open, drugs, crime, you name it. It’s all coming in. So Kamala is just too far left. She and the abortion issue, that’s too far left, too if people can stay in the middle, I think we’ll be better off as a country. John,

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  3:35  

why Trump?

 

Speaker 7  3:37  

He’s authentic. I know what he stands for, good or bad, I still three, four months later, I really don’t know what Harris’s campaign is, other than they’re anti Trump.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  3:48  

Dallas, you voted Democrat once or twice. 26 months, twice. Why have you moved

 

Speaker 8  3:55  

basically over the past four years, my life has become increasingly unaffordable. Groceries, rent, gas, anything I need to function. It’s become more expensive, and I’m in a unique position where I know I’m voting for a president who already served a four year term, where I know that doesn’t happen, especially at such an escalated rate.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  4:15  

Richard, why Trump? You know,

 

Speaker 9  4:17  

I’m struggling with this, but the economy is definitely one of the biggest factors, you know, having a family, seeing all the costs go up, but also seeing that others have been prioritized over the needs of, you know, families like mine that are in the true blue area. So it’s, it’s really frustrating to see all the hard work just be totally taken away. It’s become almost like an American nightmare. Doug from Ohio. Why Trump?

 

Speaker 1  4:41  

With Trump? You know what you get? I mean, we saw it for four years. We had peace across the world. No new wars, immigration. Border was secure, and like many have said, you know, he’s the left. Has moved too far left, particularly. On social issues like abortion for me.

 

{WIPE}

{02 Where did Democrats go wrong}

{TRT: 9:28}

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  0:00  

You realize it’s a big deal. Is this a rejection of the Democratic Party, a rejection of Kamala Harris or an embrace of Donald Trump? And really need to understand that. How many of you say it’s a rejection first and foremost of the Democratic Party? Raise your hand. 120, half. More than half of you. Okay, so what did they do that was wrong that causes you to vote for the most hated individual in politics on the Republican side. Why did the Democrats go wrong? Or where did they go wrong? Anybody? Ken? Why did the Democrats go wrong?

 

Speaker 1  0:38  

Their choice of Kamala was one thing, but having waltz as the backup is really concerning to me. I would not want him to end up as vice president. Why not? Oh, he’s much weaker than either Kamala or or any other of the Democratic potentials just he’s just weak. I don’t see him having any viewpoints. He looks like a happy dog following his owner on a leash. Democratic

 

Speaker 2  1:01  

Party, Democratic Party. The Democratic Party has lied to us. I mean, they would say, on and on and on, like, Biden is fine, Biden is fine, and then all of a sudden he’s not, and when it’s too late, they just appointed Kamala. And it was they didn’t do the process. She didn’t have to battle anyone in her own party for her position.

 

Unknown Speaker  1:17  

They actually threw Biden out. Yeah, who knows? I

 

Speaker 2  1:20  

mean, I’m just saying, I’m just saying she had to battle no one, so, yeah, she got the nomination, but she didn’t have to compete with anyone. She was handed it, and it’s just all just Democrats just lie, and they blame the Republican side all the time. They say they’re guilty of everything that they’re blaming the Republican Party for. It

 

Speaker 3  1:40  

raises a larger issue, the attack on free speech, which really started during the COVID lockdowns, but also going after school board meetings, religious groups. In my case, I’m a Catholic, so Catholic churches throughout the country, and then just basically demonizing people who have a different point of view. And I think that’s why I was attracted to RFK Jr early in this election cycle, because he was one of the few Democrats that had the guts to say the things that should have been said. Sean from

 

Unknown Speaker  2:13  

Georgia, yeah.

 

Speaker 3  2:14  

I mean, it’s they’re just disingenuine across the board. I don’t think they’ve been honest, I do think that they have a circle the wagons at all costs. They’re not answering to the people anymore. They just have such a loyal base that hasn’t fallen apart, because what they call a cult over here, we’re looking saying they’re called over there. Because it doesn’t matter what happens. The denialism is so strong it overrides everything else.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  2:41  

Okay, hold on, guys, you voted for them. Most of you voted for them twice. In 2016 and 2020 are you acknowledging that you were wrong? Yes,

 

Speaker 4  2:50  

absolutely, in a way. I mean, I mean that’s for me, is I did vote for them twice, and I’ve had to go for the past four years again, like just living is important to me. You know, getting through my day without, you know, being broke all the time. Everything is getting so expensive, and my wages have been completely stagnant. Nothing’s getting easier every time I look into the Democratic candidate, you know, they’re talking about wars that I’m not particularly interested in. Nothing is about the people or nothing’s about making the country itself better, and I have no reason to believe that won’t continue with Kamala, whereas Trump, I wasn’t having those issues. So at least, no, it like I know what to expect on some level.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  3:32  

So again, you all are admitting you got it wrong.

 

Unknown Speaker  3:36  

Yes,

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  3:37  

how did you get it wrong? Ken, go ahead. Well, I

 

Speaker 1  3:39  

never expected that we were going to be faced with a mandate to buy EVs. I will not buy an EV so I’m worried about that direction. The climate issues with the Dems are a whole different story from from what I think is reality, and so I’ve got to hope that Donald Trump will hold hold back the climate crowd so that we can afford to live.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  4:03  

Jason, how did you get it wrong? Jason, Aaron, by the way, either Jason Texas, Indiana or Aaron. Alright, it’s so wrong. As a

 

Speaker 5  4:12  

lifelong Democrat, I’ve run for office multiple times as a Democrat, I volunteer for campaigns, so it takes time to shake off and see the truth for what it is. And I think COVID was kind of like the last straw and them censoring and destroying people and misrepresenting what was going on, to the fact that the government may have been involved in this, and it’s just like there’s kind of no going back, because the party that I joined kind of does not exist anymore.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  4:42  

You all agree with that? Yeah, yes, yeah, yep, okay, I asked you this question, which you which had a bigger impact on this decision? How many of you would say that it wasn’t the Democrats and it wasn’t Harris, but it was Trump himself? No, that’s it’s not that you’re voting against something. It’s that you’re voting for Donald Trump. Would say that is your motivation. Raise your hands for him

 

Speaker 3  5:08  

to get us back on the right track in this world, to where we need to be. That’s why I’m voting for Donald Trump again. Okay,

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  5:14  

but I’m looking at this group right now, and this is not a positive vote for Trump. This is why we do these focus groups. It’s not a positive vote for Trump. It’s a negative. It’s a saying to the Democrats, you screwed up. I’ve had enough. Please tell me why that is the case. Anybody

 

Speaker 6  5:31  

Kamala from California is too radical. She’s too far left with her policies and positions, even though she’s flip flopped on them in the last few months, running for president, but nothing against people from California. But the policies in California are so bad, I wouldn’t be surprised if the state goes bankrupt. They’re too far left. They politicians need to be in the middle. It’s just that simple. You can lean a little left, lean a little right, but when you lean too far left or too far right, you’re bad news. Regardless of who you

 

Speaker 1  6:04  

Frank, they’re not even paying attention to the deficit. You know, we’ve got a huge deficit, and they just want to spend more money, more money, more money. I’m at a point where I don’t know that my grandkids are going to be working in China or not. I just we’ve gotta stop the downward spiral that the Democrats have put us on. Yeah, I really

 

Speaker 3  6:27  

don’t like the demonization of people. I thought when Biden, I did vote for Biden in 2020 I thought he would be more of a uniter he was not. I thought the party was going to embrace all types of people. They have it. I work with a lot of young African American and Latino men, and they’re really turned off by a Democratic Party right now, and they’re being demonized just as if they were a white Christian nationalist from Wyoming. So it’s just, it’s a sad I find the Democratic Party to be the illiberal party now

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  7:05  

Aaron or Dan, please or Thomas. What’s your reaction to all this? Well,

 

Speaker 7  7:11  

I’m a fairly new dad, and once I had my son, you know, I I started to really change my perspective on things and tell me why you guys are worried about the future. What about the day today, if you’re dead by tomorrow, because you know, a migrant robs you and kills you and I and don’t get me wrong, I have friends of all races, all colors. It’s not a race thing. It’s a respect thing. And when you come to someone’s country, you have respect, and if someone gives you something because they want to help you, you don’t take advantage of them, and you don’t take advantage of their people, and you don’t hurt that country’s warning people for your own gain, and I’m mad as hell about this or right

 

Speaker 8  8:06  

misplaced priorities is what’s really what I’m really struggling with. And I’m a Democrat, and I don’t necessarily agree with the disconnect with the Democratic Party that everybody’s describing, but I just want to be very clear, like the misplaced priorities is what’s really given me a lot of problems, is that we COVID. We could have nation built here, but the monies and all of the expenses that have, you know, piled up. My electric bill, for example, went up to over $2,000 at one point, um, shortly after the war started in Ukraine, these things really had a huge impact. And I just want to be very clear, like the math and the misplaced priorities has really hurt middle class Americans, and I’m speaking from a personal experience, because it really helped. You know, as you question, you know, are you really, you know, going to continue to follow an ideology that has really subtracted from your future. Sam, please

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  9:04  

jump in. Okay, so

 

Speaker 9  9:05  

basically, when he went, he had more of an order. That’s what wasn’t me. The Democrats never liked him, and he was okay that he has a lot of people got offended because of his tongue. He has no filter, and I, and I understand that. You know, he just tells you how it is, whether you like it or not. I feel that’s great. No hot no beating around the bush like Democrats are doing right now.

 

{WIPE}

{03 One sentence to describe Donald Trump}

{TRT: 1:21}

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  0:00  

Okay, I want to get specific. You get one sentence to describe Donald Trump in a single sentence. How do you describe Donald Trump, Dallas? I’ll start with you a

 

Speaker 1  0:11  

return to at least the opportunity to have some sort of meaningful life again. You know, being able to afford life

 

Speaker 2  0:19  

hunter in a sentence, Donald Trump, embracing

 

Speaker 3  0:22  

a lot of unpredictability for a better life, a better day today.

 

Speaker 2  0:30  

Sean in a sentence, Donald Trump, courageous and tenacious to a fault. Thomas, Donald Trump,

 

Speaker 4  0:37  

someone you can count on to keep you safe.

 

Speaker 2  0:41  

Doug, what you see is what you get, and he will put America first. Aaron, someone that can help with the economy. Gas prices are crazy foods crazy

 

Unknown Speaker  0:50  

priced. I think he’s the one that can help us with that.

 

Speaker 2  0:53  

Jason from Indiana, no nonsense, businessman, Jason from Texas, no a no holds barred. Highly flawed but transparent and persistent candidate that we need. Dan from Iowa,

 

Speaker 5  1:07  

I take him seriously, but I don’t take him literally. Sound right things done right at the right time. Ken

 

Speaker 2  1:14  

Donald Trump has mellowed over the past eight years, and he’s not a threat to America anymore. Yeah.

 

{WIPE}

{04 One sentence to describe Kamala Harris}

{TRT: 6:19}

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  0:00  

Now again, you guys voted Democrat in 2016, 2020, most of you give me a sense to describe Kamala Harris. Ken, I’m going to start with you a week.

 

Speaker 1  0:10  

She’s a follower and not a leader. She hasn’t had a lot of policies that she’s expressed that attract me to her, I don’t see her as having the the best interest of the people in mind, as opposed to her own self interest.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  0:29  

John, give me a sense to describe Kamala Harris,

 

Speaker 2  0:32  

someone who is lazy and weak and conflicted. Jason

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  0:37  

from Indiana, too far left Sal

 

Speaker 3  0:41  

she is basically, how can I say this? It’s like a groundhog, you know, and they just come out once a year. Dan,

 

Unknown Speaker  0:48  

she was anointed. She wasn’t elected. Jason

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  0:51  

from Texas,

 

Speaker 4  0:52  

she is the unelected non player character of the Democratic Party who represents all of the divisiveness that I used to think that Republicans represent but Democrats represent now. Thomas,

 

Unknown Speaker  1:06  

an uneducated talking head.

 

Speaker 5  1:09  

William, she’s basically a backstabber that will make sure that everybody gets stabbed in the back instead of standing up for you. Brian, I don’t trust

 

Speaker 6  1:16  

her. I don’t trust her. I don’t trust the Democratic Party. She’s been in office for three and a half years, and I just don’t think things need to continue in the same direction. I’d like to see a different direction. Doug, the

 

Speaker 7  1:27  

most inauthentic politician I’ve ever seen that continues to somehow fall up continuously.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  1:35  

Guys look at each other. There are 15 of you. All of you are men. There are some people who think that this is a gender issue. I know Sean, you’re nodding your head, no, but why is it that so many men refuse to vote for Harris? Because, watch

 

Speaker 8  1:48  

her. They could put Tulsi up there. I know she just switched Republican Party. They Haley would have been a lot better, even though a lot of people argue she’s a rhino. She’s not qualified. We don’t care about gender. There’s women that could lead this country. She’s not it. She’s just not it.

 

Speaker 6  2:03  

Every day, I just she’s she doesn’t have the same values that I’m looking for. I don’t trust her.

 

Speaker 4  2:09  

I just haven’t heard a lot of what’s going to change,

 

Speaker 2  2:13  

right? That’s exactly identity politics that I hate. I want to vote for the person and the best person, regardless of race, color, creed, sex, religion, orientation, any of that,

 

Speaker 3  2:27  

right? She’s a she’s a stop gap filler. They just threw her in the they figured Biden couldn’t do it. But honestly, I think Biden, even if he would have lost, he would have done a little bit better than what she’s doing. She’s actually bombing the Democratic Party.

 

Speaker 4  2:41  

I wasn’t planning for voting for Biden again either. So it doesn’t make a difference. It only became about gender because the Democrats made it about gender. That’s right,

 

Speaker 9  2:50  

yeah. I mean, I can’t speak for all men. I mean, no doubt there’s misogyny peppered in it for some people, I just know for me, personally, it’s just the candidate specifically. I don’t care about gender, race, sexual orientation. None of that bothers me. It’s just kind of like what’s happening.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  3:06  

Okay, let me just say to you, then it’s possible that some people would listen to this and say, y’all being defensive, that you’re trying to come up with the rationalization for voting against her that covers gender, that that blocks it out. What would you say to that?

 

Speaker 6  3:24  

Every day, all day, I got no probes. I love women. I think they’re amazing. I just think she doesn’t represent the values that I’m looking for.

 

Speaker 7  3:31  

I would say they are the ones that are making it about gender, not most of the voters, because, like all of us are saying, We don’t care if it’s a male or female, it’s just not her, not that particular female.

 

Speaker 1  3:45  

I think if the dems, if the Dems had put somebody up like Hillary again, or even Michelle Obama, I don’t think Kamala would have stood a chance if she slid in the back door unfortunately. And we’re we’re stuck with her in the Democratic Party, there, there are certainly she’s doesn’t even come close to the qualifications of Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama.

 

Unknown Speaker  4:08  

This is going to

 

Speaker 5  4:10  

be because she says that she ain’t like, you know, Biden’s agenda and all that she’s going to have a different agenda. But she’s not because she’s going to be a puppet, just like Biden was, and she’s going to do what the hiring needs won’t hurt to do instead of doing what she needs to do to make sure that we are ran properly, this country should be

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  4:27  

okay. I want to ask, I got two questions for you right now. First off, if Michelle Obama was the Democratic candidate, how many would be supporting her? 123, of you. Four, five of you. Okay?

 

Speaker 5  4:41  

Obama President, that’s what I switched over to Democrat and started voting for some Democrats because Obama, he actually stood for what we need and what we could have as American people, instead of going too far left. Oh, Biden, I mean Obama stopped. Already making change in this country, but then all sudden, it dropped off.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  5:05  

Why is Michelle Obama better to you or better for you than Kamala Harris? Can I get three more of you to tell me why?

 

Speaker 9  5:13  

Again, you know we’re like, right now, we’re kind of in a unique position where we can kind of look at the previously served term of someone that’s running, and Michelle Obama would kind of, in a way, be that as well. You know, we know what the Obama administration was like, so we would at least have some frame of reference going forward. She

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  5:31  

she hold on, and you don’t have that with Harris. No. I

 

Speaker 9  5:35  

mean, to me, she’s just placating, and it’s just kind of unpredictable. And if it’s the same as it’s been the past four years. I mean, again, like life has been increasingly more difficult just to get by on a basic level. And if that’s just going to continue, I’m not particularly

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  5:50  

interested. That is two more, why Michelle Obama and not Kamala Harris? Two more, would

 

Unknown Speaker  5:58  

she win the primary? Oh,

 

Speaker 8  6:00  

she won the primary. Sure, she’s she, I mean, I would argue she’s higher intelligence, she’s articulate, she’s well spoken, she’s good under pressure, even though she’s not been in the arena. She’s she’s just coming with a higher caliber of overall talent and intelligence and experience lent from her husband’s experience. Yeah.

 

{WIPE}

{05 Why do so many men support Trump}

{TRT: 8:04}

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  0:00  

Okay, let me ask you this straightforward question, why are so many men like Trump? Why are so many men voting for Donald Trump?

 

Unknown Speaker  0:08  

Strong,

 

Speaker 1  0:09  

helpful? Yeah, I think they recognize the strength of a leader like Trump. He doesn’t

 

Speaker 2  0:16  

hate people like me. He seems like he genuinely likes all people, all races, all colors, all backgrounds. But he doesn’t hate men, in particular, which the Democratic Party’s somehow become the anti male party.

 

Unknown Speaker  0:29  

We know what his principles are,

 

Speaker 3  0:31  

even sometimes he’s gotta do. I mean, he hasn’t told us nothing that he was going to do and that he didn’t do. And that’s how I was raised. You know, I raised myself my whole life, and I raised myself to be if you want respect, you gotta give respect. But thing is, if you say you’re going to do something, do it, don’t say you’re going to do it and not do it, because that’s lying. And there’s two things I hate in this world. It’s liars. And I’ll see Trump as a liar or a thief.

 

Speaker 4  0:57  

Yeah, he’s transparent, even in his exaggerations. And you know, the frame of reference for his track record, it was a good four years minus the craziness going on from the Democrat side. Honestly, most of that was reactionary because of the media pushing narratives and things that he made mistakes. But lots of that was trumped up pun intended by sectors of media.

 

Speaker 5  1:19  

If Trump had been one of our founders, we’d we’d own Canada and Mexico. I’d like to say Trump is somewhat practical. He’s not a war mongerer like the current administration. And as far as the tech against men, I actually believe which started changing my mind, is this started during the second Stacey Abrams contest for Governor of Georgia when they first started going after men who weren’t supporting her, especially black men all over the news media, and that’s when I really started focusing on these not so subtle attacks and digs, and which is why I argued that the Democratic Party is not the party of divisiveness, and Trump represents someone who’s not Part of the establishment. So at least there’s a chance he can make positive change. Think

 

Speaker 6  2:04  

that, you know, men are traditionally providers, and I think that he speaks to, he speaks about things, about the middle class and trying to support the middle class, and that’s things that we need in this country, because the distance between the haves and the haves not is huge. And there’s a huge section of America is just getting lost out there that is not represented, and he speaks to that Doug.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  2:25  

Why does Trump do so well among male voters,

 

Speaker 1  2:28  

I think a lot of men can identify with the image of Trump and that he is someone that I think deep down in a lot of men would like to be like, you know, he built an empire, right? And he he speaks his mind. He’s not afraid to say what he feels. And I feel like a lot of times. I wish I had some of those characteristics as well. Aaron,

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  2:53  

can you explain why he’s just not emotional

 

Speaker 7  2:56  

in his response? He’s just straight to the point. Doesn’t budge. And I find that very inspiring, just as a man, because I want to be straightforward and not, you know, think too hard about, you know, what could happen if I say the wrong thing? And I think he’s just straight shooter in that sense.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  3:13  

So as a group, raise your hands of Donald Trump inspires you. And I use that word delivery. If Donald Trump inspires you, raise your hand. Okay, that’s only half of you. So Brian, he doesn’t inspire you. Thomas, he doesn’t inspire you. Jason from Texas, he doesn’t inspire you. And yet, men are voting for him as you are. Can you explain what seems to be a difference there?

 

Speaker 5  3:37  

Sure, men have more practical issues, often economics at the top, while more women will have the issues like abortion and other things that don’t really affect us day to day. But men deal with a lot of the day to day issues like cost. And I have a wife and three kids, and so we’re dealing with that. So for more men, that’s at the forefront than some of these social issues that women, of greater proportion, the women may vote on. Yeah, I

 

Speaker 6  4:05  

agree. I mean, he doesn’t necessarily inspire me, but he’s like, I’ve said, he’s running on issues that I think are important, and those are the things. That’s the why I’m going to vote for him. He’s

 

Speaker 8  4:14  

definitely got a rap sheet, right? He said some things, he’s done some things, he’s a bit wild. There’s definitely things I wouldn’t want my children if I had them hearing. So he’s definitely doesn’t inspire me, but a lot of people, including myself, feel a bit forgotten, and that is something that I feel like he’s has spoken to a bit

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  4:36  

Jason from Texas, why do you feel ignored and forgotten? Well,

 

Speaker 5  4:39  

because I am ignored and forgotten arguing that the leadership of both political parties serve wealthy elites who in general, don’t care about the general well being of the average American working class, or really the country’s future because the decisions that have been made on their behalf. Puts our country in worse shape than it’s been before. And I think Donald Trump won the Republican nomination of 2016 because he was not part of the establishment and those elites, and he probably rubbed them the wrong way, and a lot of people like that, and he was transparent for whatever his shortcomings were. So at least you know what you’re getting. You never know what you’re getting with these establishment candidates, except probably a lie

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  5:25  

Dallas, why are you ignored and forgotten? Um, I

 

Speaker 9  5:29  

mean, again, you know, if, if, if I can work a full time job, you know, even putting in overtime, and I’m still having trouble with things like gas and groceries and rent, and that’s only just progressively getting worse. I mean, it doesn’t seem like they’re particularly concerned about what’s going on just in middle America and Hunter why you forgotten

 

Speaker 8  5:51  

just my life, there are things happening in Washington. I don’t think we could deny that. And looking at the panel here, we’re all from different parts of the United States, and we’re kind of saying the same thing. We’re struggling. We’re paying a lot of money, where we’re spending $5 a gallon on gas in some scenarios. And we’re all Americans. We’re all what these people are fighting for, supposedly, Brent

 

Speaker 5  6:16  

the Biden administration has gotten progressively worse, the further it’s gone along. It is the antithesis of what the Democratic Party stood for. It used to stand for, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, individual rights, the government not overstepping and taking over people’s lives. It is the complete opposite. It is a warmongering money machine that only wants power, and is now the party of divisiveness, through racism, through gender, through identity, trying to split people into tribes and set them against each other for its own power. It is the Biden administration, as it is now, is close to authoritarian in their desires, whether it’s cooperating with social media companies to censor views they don’t like, to keep people from speaking on networks that they don’t like, they’re the antithesis of what they used to represent. So when I said that I’m moderate and I haven’t moved, they’ve moved, and they’ve kept moving, so Donald Trump is clearly the lesser of the two evils for me. Yeah,

 

Speaker 1  7:25  

I think, like a lot of other people are saying, is I haven’t moved, but the party has left me and just gone so extreme the rhetoric, the rhetoric is untenable right now. I mean, I personally believe that the rhetoric from the Democratic Party is is indirectly responsible for multiple assassination multiple assassination attempts. It’s just gone too far away. Dan,

 

Speaker 10  7:52  

I feel like they’ve got so far away from the working part, the working class and union members that it’s untenable anymore, and my Union’s not even backing them. I.

 

{WIPE}

{06 Why is there a gender gap}

{TRT: 5:51}

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  0:00  

Okay, I want you to explain to me and we’re heading we’re almost done now. I want you to explain to me why the gender gap is at or close to an all time high. More women are voting democratic this time than in almost any other presidential election. More men are voting Republican this time than in almost any presidential election, and the difference between men and women is at or near an all time divide. Explain this to me, Ken, I’m going to start with you.

 

Speaker 1  0:31  

I The big difference, I think, has to be Roe v Wade, although I think the other number two in that that list is wanting a female president. I think that that, I think women think that a female president is going to do them right, maybe folks,

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  0:49  

Richard, why is the gender gap and an all time divide?

 

Speaker 2  0:54  

You know, it’s it goes back to choice, and I believe that women, they should have the right to choose. And she is emphatically representing that that ideal and her vision of, you know, having a more inclusive environment, I guess, and involving more people in her approach to government, appeals to women that want a more balanced approach to government, as opposed to my way or the highway.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  1:21  

John, why this huge gender gap?

 

Speaker 3  1:23  

Gender peer pressure? Women tell other women that Trump is a monster. He’s a misogynist. And frankly, I think a lot of women are lying. I think some women are actually going to vote for Trump, but they’re too embarrassed to tell their friends and pollsters.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  1:40  

Dan, what do you think?

 

Unknown Speaker  1:41  

I think it’s abortion. And I think that I think when Trump shoots his mouth off, he appears very pompous. And I think it turns a lot of women off Aaron.

 

Speaker 4  1:49  

I think a lot of images don’t see him as a good representation of what a man can maybe be, and that he’s just not very respectful. Women.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  1:58  

Are they justified in holding that point of view.

 

Unknown Speaker  2:01  

I’m sorry.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  2:01  

Are they justified in holding that point of view? Obviously,

 

Speaker 4  2:06  

it’s a personal opinion, but I think depends on what their experience has been in life.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  2:11  

Is Trump respectful of women? Aaron, it’s debatable. It depends,

 

Unknown Speaker  2:16  

not always. No.

 

Speaker 5  2:17  

Oh, I think two things on this issue, I know women, personally, loved ones, that are mad. They are mad at Trump. They obviously wouldn’t want their daughters. You know, getting anywhere near Trump for some of the comments, of course, but they’re mad. Roe v Wade really pissed them off, and they’ve voted Republican their entire lives, but now they will be voting Democrat, and it is strictly on the Roe v Wade issue and just his demeanor, his language, his etc, I mean, like that. He’s just rough around that just he’s very rough.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  2:51  

Okay, here comes the final question for all of you, individually. I’ll call on you if you could say two sentences to either presidential candidate. Which candidate would you say them to and what would you say in just two sentences, John, I’m going to start with you.

 

Speaker 3  3:09  

Donald Trump, last two weeks of the campaign, if you want to close the deal, run an extremely positive campaign. Ken,

 

Speaker 1  3:17  

I would have nothing to say to Kamala, but I would suggest to Trump that he run a, put a put a grill on that mouse. He just

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  3:24  

needs to tone it back. Jason from Texas, um, President

 

Speaker 6  3:28  

Trump, if you can hold your focus on the needs and issues of the middle class, they will give you that second chance that you deserve, and not to focus on tax cuts, because we need you to focus on the larger issues that are affecting the middle class, and it goes beyond taxes. Dan Kamala

 

Speaker 7  3:47  

Harris, you are not elected. You weren’t you didn’t win the primary. You have no place being here. You didn’t win this. This isn’t yours. Thomas,

 

Speaker 8  3:56  

President Trump, in the past, I had not the most positive impression of you, but I’m going to put my faith in you for the next four years. Please don’t let us down. Brian, I

 

Speaker 7  4:10  

would tell Donald Trump to please finish this campaign with kindness and compassion. Doug, to

 

Unknown Speaker  4:16  

Donald Trump,

 

Speaker 3  4:17  

I would say, Thanks for the first term. Let’s finish out this campaign and close the deal. Aaron, I

 

Speaker 4  4:23  

would say Donald Trump, you might be a great businessman, but listen more than you talk, because you might learn more about us.

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  4:29  

Hunter,

 

Speaker 5  4:30  

I have a sentence for each Is that okay? Yes, okay. So to Kamala, it would be, I’m disappointed. Why didn’t you talk about policy enough and with Trump to win this thing, I think you gotta calm down with the attacks

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  4:49  

Dallas. I

 

Speaker 4  4:50  

would say Kamala convinced me that the Democrats are can be a party of the working people, because I’m pretty much with the Dems on everything else. Richard, yeah.

 

Speaker 2  4:59  

Um, you know, as a lifelong Democrat, I would say to both of them, deliver what you say you’re going to do to help middle class families become an American nightmare with respect to prices and the the crime that we’re really seeing that’s happening. So hopefully, hopefully you can deliver to protect our families and have a real future,

 

Dr. Frank Luntz  5:20  

guys, this has been a great conversation. It’s really fascinating, and I appreciate your willingness to be open and candid about your points of view. We’re only days away from the election. You really matter, and I hope that we can have conversations like this in the days up to that election, and frankly, in the days afterward. I thank you for being respectful of each other, and I look forward to when we get a chance to talk again on behalf of straight our own news. I’m Dr Frank Luntz, thank you for listening. You.

 

{WIPE}

 

{OUTRO}

{TC: 4:17 –  4:37}

 

That was a truly fascinating conversation with the men who voted Democratic in 2016 2020 or both, but are now backing Donald Trump in 2024 Fascinating. Well, we’ll be back again soon with another installment of America speaks. I’m Dr Frank Luntz, thank you so much for listening.