The battle lines are drawn in a high-stakes legal showdown.
Pollster Frank Luntz warns that New York Attorney General Letitia James' legal maneuvers could inadvertently pave the way for Donald Trump's political resurgence.
New York's legal crusade against former President Donald Trump has entered a new phase. Attorney General Letitia James is pursuing the seizure of several Trump properties following a civil fraud judgment.
Trump recently failed to secure a $464 million appeal bond and finds his real estate empire under threat. Fox News reported that The Trump legal team decried the demand for the bond as "practically impossible," with attorney Clifford S. Robert denouncing the proposed sale of properties to meet the bond amount as unconstitutional.
Trump's struggle to appeal the judgment has not gone unnoticed in the political arena. A seasoned pollster, Frank Luntz, warns that Democrats may be playing a risky game with their aggressive legal tactics. Seizing Trump's assets, according to Luntz, could be a strategic misstep, turning Trump into a sympathetic figure and mobilizing his base ahead of the upcoming presidential election.
During a recent CNN appearance, Luntz expounded on the potential political fallout, suggesting that televised asset seizures would victimize Trump and boost his support. The optics of such actions, Luntz argues, could galvanize public sentiment in Trump's favor, a situation the Democrats would do well to avoid. Current polls show Trump leading against Biden, a margin that could widen if the electorate perceives the asset seizure as overreach.
Trump's attorney, Clifford S. Robert, articulated the team's position in no uncertain terms. He wrote:
It would be completely illogical — and the definition of an unconstitutional Excessive Fine and a Taking — to require Defendants to sell properties at all, and especially in a ‘fire sale,’ in order to be able to appeal the lawless Supreme Court judgment, as that would cause harm that cannot be repaired once the Defendants do win, as is overwhelmingly likely, on appeal.
Frank Luntz did not mince words when he criticized Trump's opponents for what he perceived as political folly. By targeting Trump's real estate holdings, Luntz believes Democrats are inadvertently providing Trump with ammunition for his narrative of victimhood at the hands of the establishment.
Luntz went on to explain that if Trump's possessions were taken away, it would reinforce his claims of a conspiracy against him, potentially undermining the legitimacy of the government and energizing his supporters. According to Luntz, this strategy is unwise and counterproductive for those who wish to see Trump lose in the upcoming election.
The pollster's comments come on the heels of a Fox News Poll that places Trump ahead of Biden by a slim margin. In the battleground states, Trump's lead is within the margin of error, yet Luntz attributes this lead to ineffective campaigning by his critics:
In the seven swing states, Trump is up by the margin of error in five out of seven. Why is that happening? Because his critics are stupid and they're running a horrible campaign.
The New York Attorney General's actions against Donald Trump are more than just a legal battle; they have significant political implications. Frank Luntz cautions that by seizing Trump's properties, Democrats might be handing him the presidency on a silver platter. Trump's recent failure to secure a bond and the consequent risk of losing his properties has cast him as a potential victim in the eyes of the public, which could rally more support for his 2024 campaign.
Luntz's blunt critique of the Democrats' campaign strategy highlights the delicate balance of prosecuting perceived wrongdoing without alienating voters. As the presidential election looms, the effectiveness of these strategies will be tested, and the results could shape the political landscape for years to come.
