Donald Trump is going to be very tough to dislodge from the front-runner spot in the Republican Party’s presidential contest. Luntz Global Political Director David Merritt says he used to think that Trump would be trounced in a November match up with Hillary Clinton. But the billionaire businessman and reality TV star has demonstrated that he can change his tactics to suit the moment.
“Most general election voters at this point probably don’t support him. But I think that he will be a different candidate. Think of this: When he puts his sight on someone, like Ben Carson, like Scott Walker, like Jeb Bush, like Ted Cruz, they’ve all been knocked down a peg, or knocked out of the race altogether. He hasn’t even focused on Hillary Clinton yet so that’s why I think he will make this a much tighter race.”
Merritt says the Republican establishment should not try to knock Trump out of the nomination at the party convention.
“Honestly, I think it would mark the end of the Republican Party as we know it. He has more delegates than anyone. He has a 16-point lead nationally. He’s leading in every state poll coming up over the next ten days. He’s a quarter of the way there with delegates. If somehow he is not the nominee, and there’s some sort of smoke-filled room, brokered deal… I mean he has millions of people that would literally walk out of the Republican Party.”
Merritt says a Luntz Global national poll found that three-quarters of Trump supporters would leave the party and follow him if he were to become an independent candidate. Merritt says Trump’s greatest strength is his perceived authenticity. Clinton’s greatest weakness is the fact that many voters, even Democrats, see her as a dishonest person.
Merritt was a guest on 790 KABC’s McIntyre in the Morning Show.
