America Speaks with Frank Luntz (Video)

‘Mean or extreme’: Americans discuss Harris and Trump

President Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris has thrown a wrench into pollsters’ predictions for the election outcome. Harris now enjoys a lead over Trump in the polls both nationally and within key swing states. Trump and Harris agreed to debate on Sept. 3, which will give Americans a first-person view of how the campaigns have changed in the wake of Biden’s announcement.
Watch the above 41-minute episode of America Speaks as pollster and political analyst Dr. Frank Luntz is interviewed by a group of American voters about the new choice they have and where he thinks the two major presidential campaigns are headed.

‘Young and thoughtful’: Why American voters are switching to Harris

In the wake of growing public concern over his declining health, President Biden officially announced he would not seek reelection in November, and endorsed Kamala Harris as the next Democratic nominee. That announcement changed the dynamics of a presidential election between the two oldest-ever candidates that few Americans had been excited for.
Kamala Harris, at 59, is roughly two decades younger than Trump and Biden. After the announcement, her campaign broke fundraising records, and her candidacy has energized voters across the political spectrum.
Watch this 36-minute episode of America Speaks as pollster and political analyst Dr. Frank Luntz interviews a group of Americans who say they would not have voted for Biden but that they will vote for Kamala Harris. He seeks to understand what they see in Harris that they did not see in Biden.

‘Both completely corrupt’: What Americans think of Biden, Trump

Prior to his official withdrawal from the 2024 U.S. presidential race, President Joe Biden was expected to win the Democratic nomination in August and face former President Donald Trump in November’s election. Kamala Harris is now the presumed nominee, although there is time for another surprise before the convention officially nominates a candidate in August.
 
Watch the 36-minute video above, where pollster and political analyst Dr. Frank Luntz asks Americans — before Biden dropped out of the race — about their thoughts on Biden and Trump and their concerns regarding each candidate.

‘I don’t know’: Swing voters debate who best to replace Biden

On Sunday, July 21, President Joe Biden announced that he would be stepping down as the Democratic nominee for president in the 2024 election. Biden quickly announced that he would be endorsing Kamala Harris for that nomination and encouraged his supporters to support her as well.
At the Republican National Convention (RNC), Donald Trump formally accepted the Republican nomination just days after surviving an assassination attempt. Trump, who has been accused of encouraging and celebrating political violence in the past, said he “tore up” his original fiery partisan speech, and delivered a new speech calling on all Americans to come together and lower the political temperature.
 
Watch the above 28-minute video as pollster and political analyst Dr. Frank Luntz asks American swing voters — prior to his stepping down — whether they think Biden should stay or go. Dr. Luntz also asks the panel who should take Biden’s place and what they thought of Donald Trump’s acceptance speech at the RNC.
 
This episode was filmed on July 19, two days before President Biden’s public announcement that he would not seek reelection.

‘Mad as hell’: Americans vent anger, frustration over politics

Public anger, fear and frustration with American politics reached another climax after the Supreme Court’s highly controversial July 1 decision in Trump v. United States. Those emotions continued spiraling until the attempted assassination of Donald Trump just two weeks later. 
 
After the shooting, political leaders in both parties called for restraint and joined President Biden in asking all Americans to “lower the temperature” of political arguments and debate. However, American public trust in government has remained critically low for over a decade, suggesting deeper systemic problems, and it isn’t likely to improve overnight even if politicians can successfully defuse these simmering tensions.
 
In this 30-minute episode of America Speaks, pollster and political analyst Dr. Frank Luntz invites Americans to discuss their anger, frustration, hopes, and fears about the country’s future and their ideas about how to fix it.

‘On death’s door’: Undecided voters react to first debate

The first live debate of 2024 between current President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump sparked a flurry of questions and concerns. Trump, for his part, refused to commit to accepting election results or to rule out staging future coup attempts like Jan. 6, and again referred to those who stormed the U.S. Capitol as “patriots.” Biden, for his part, appeared suddenly far more agedthan he had only one hundred days before for his State of the Union Address, and seemed cognitively “out of it.”
Watch this 33-minute episode of America Speaks as pollster and political analyst Dr. Frank Luntz asks a panel of undecided U.S. voters for their reactions to the debate.

‘Two bad choices’: Undecided voters before Biden-Trump debate

American voters face a stark binary choice this November between two very different presidential candidates with opposing visions for America. Most voters already have a firm idea of who they plan to vote for and why, and yet some remain undecided. Undecided voters, in addition to going either way on the ballot, might choose to vote third-party or even to abstain from voting altogether.
In this 15-minute episode of America Speaks, pollster and political analyst Dr. Frank Luntz interviews a group of undecided voters prior to the first Biden-Trump debate of 2024 and asks them to share why they’ve not yet made up their minds and what key issues might persuade them.

‘Money doesn’t go as far’: Americans discuss financial hardships

As the presidential election approaches, many Americans feel cautious about the economy despite reassuring data. Nearly two-thirds of middle-class Americans report experiencing economic hardship and do not expect their situation to improve. Inflation and unaffordable housing are two of the top concerns respondents cite.
In this 40-minute episode of America Speaks, Dr. Frank Luntz asks a panel of 15 Americans from 14 different states to talk about their financial struggles, including making ends meet and paying bills on time. Dr. Luntz focuses on topics such as setting priorities, making tough decisions, learning to accept sacrifices, and surviving on incomes that don’t keep up pace with inflation.

‘I am shocked’: Americans react to the Trump guilty verdict

Former President Donald Trump has been found guilty on all counts of falsifying business records in his hush money trial, making him the first former U.S. president to be convicted of a crime. Trump is likely to appeal the verdict. He will be sentenced on July 11, only four days before the Republican National Convention. In this 35-minute episode of America Speaks, Dr. Frank Luntz asks a panel of Americans about the verdict just minutes after it was announced. The panelists discuss their surprise (or lack thereof) at the verdict, its potential impact on the upcoming election, the possibility of violence in its aftermath, and whether the case should have been brought forth at all.

‘We have lost empathy’: American business owners debate politics

As the 2024 presidential election approaches, the small business community could play an important role in determining who wins the White House. Although 96% of these entrepreneurs are likely to vote, many of them remain undecided about whom they’ll vote for. Independent business owners, regardless of party affiliation, are concerned that they will be left behind by current business policies.
In this 36-minute episode of America Speaks, Dr. Frank Luntz asks a panel of American business owners to share their feelings about domestic politics, the state of American democracy, and how businesses can thrive in this political climate.