(NewsNation) — With polling numbers showing former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris locked in a dead heat for the presidency, a political and communications consultant isn’t clear on who will win but is concerned about what could happen in the aftermath of next week’s election.
Frank Luntz said during Wednesday night’s NewsNation town hall that several factors remain unclear that could determine whether Trump or Harris emerges victorious. He said he incorrectly predicted that Trump was done after the former president’s debate performance against Harris, but six days before the election, one thing emerged crystal clear to Luntz.
“People are going to be really angry six days from now — really angry,” Luntz said. “And I’m really afraid of what’s going to happen eight or nine days from now when people believe they were robbed on both sides.”
While historian and American University professor Allan Lichtman still believes Harris will be the next president, Luntz remains uncertain. Lichtman again said Wednesday night that according to his “Keys to the White House” formula that he devised, enough factors still show a Harris win, which he has predicted since early September, including to NewsNation.
But Luntz remains unsold on who will win. He points to the fact that Latino voters typically support Democrats over Republicans by about a margin of 22 to 24%. While a comedian’s remarks about Puerto Rico at a recent Trump rally may change this, Luntz believes that Trump will not do as poorly with Latino voters as many predict.
Luntz said that younger women will vote “in droves” for Harris, which he believes will be significant. Republicans still need to attract more votes from union voters, Latinos and young Black men, he said, to be successful. Regardless of who wins, Luntz remains concerned about the direction the country is headed.
“In the end, are we going to come together?” Luntz said during the town hall. “I’m not convinced of it, and it scares me as a professor. As someone who teaches, how do we get over this?”
He added: “I want someone to say that America is more important than the next election. I want someone to say that we have more that unites us than divides us.”
As polls show, many Americans believe Trump will not accept the results of the election should he lose. Luntz said that the former president should not continue to fight as many Republicans hope he will.
However, Luntz said he is not trying to make a case for either candidate but, instead, wants the country to look at where it stands and what divide could exist after the election is over.
“I want us to take a look at who we are and how we behave, how we talk to each other, and chill out just a little bit,” he said.