GOP polling guru delivers blistering verdict on Trump’s debate performance and devastating impact on election chances

GOP pollster Frank Luntz gave a bleak outlook for Donald Trump after his lackluster performance in the debate against Kamala Harris.

The so-called ‘Nostradamus of pollsters’ said Trump seriously damaged himself during the decisive showdown in Philadelphia on Wednesday night, even though Harris did not deliver her best performance.

When asked by Piers Morgan if Harris had won, Luntz replied: “I think it would be more accurate to say Donald Trump lost.”

Trump admitted he had “almost” seen his worst debate performance ever, Luntz acknowledged. He cited Trump’s comments about migrants eating dogs and his praise for Hungarian leader Viktor Orban as low points.

He told a stunned Morgan that when people go to the polls in November, “I think he’s going to lose because of his performance in the debate.”

Luntz, who has been called “the Nostradamus of pollsters,” was less than complimentary of Harris, but said Trump had clearly damaged himself in Philadelphia on Wednesday night

The Republican Party pollster also criticized Trump for “missing the opportunity to focus on inflation and affordability, and for completely failing to present his case without seemingly destroying her, Joe Biden, and anyone else.”

Luntz, however, said he was not impressed with Harris and called the debate “pretty bad for the whole country.”

“If this is the best that Republicans and Democrats can do, then it is a sad state of affairs for American democracy.”

Voters said Kamala Harris made them feel “hopeful” when asked to give a one-word summary of her performance during Tuesday night’s debate.

It’s the latest indicator that the vice president outperformed many expected against former President Donald Trump, and in this case won the vibe war.

When Trump’s answers were organized into a word cloud, the most common term was “annoyed.”

The details come from an online poll of 800 independent voters conducted by JL Partners on Tuesday evening.

The key figures showed that 49 percent thought Harris performed best on a night when Trump appeared to let his opponent get under his skin.

When asked by Piers Morgan if Harris had won, Luntz replied: ‘I think it’s more accurate that Donald Trump lost’

In contrast, 43 percent said they thought Trump won that night.

The two candidates first met at the ABC News debate in Philadelphia, where they spent more than an hour and a half sparring over abortion, the economy and foreign policy.

Harris came up with a plan to throw Trump off his game, and she seemed to succeed. She generated the night’s most viral moment when she ridiculed Trump’s rallies, saying people were leaving early out of “exhaustion and boredom.”

He defended what he called the “most incredible rallies in the history of politics,” before repeating a remarkable online rumor about migrants eating pets.

“What an extreme fuss,” Harris said, laughing.

The result was that Trump’s plan to define his opponent in the eyes of the audience was shelved for an extended period of time as he defended himself or made personal attacks.

Trump again refused to acknowledge his 2020 election defeat, at times raising his voice as he personally attacked Harris.

However, both candidates can take solace in other parts of the evening.

However, Luntz said he was not impressed with Harris and called the debate “pretty bad for the whole country.”

Trump performed well on some of the key issues that will determine the 2024 election.

When viewers were asked to sum up his best moment in one word, the answers were: border, economy, policy and immigration.

Harris’s word cloud was dominated by the word “abortion,” after she took a clear and expansive stance on an issue where Trump is clearly struggling to reconcile his personal views with pressure from religious conservatives who are key to his coalition.

The two candidates are in a neck-and-neck race.

Harris had seen her stock and fundraising surge after her surprise entry into the race in July, but there are signs her honeymoon is coming to an end and the polls are tightening again.

According to our DailyMail.com/JL Partners election model, Trump has a 55 percent chance of winning.