'I'm not jumping on you': Conservative pollster cornered on CNN during tense discussion

A conservative pollster found himself under fire during a CNN panel discussion over President Donald Trump’s claim that the deadly midair collision in Washington D.C. on Wednesday was the result of overzealous diversity programs.

The moment came Friday on CNN’s “NewsNight” as the nation grappled with a second air tragedy in the same number of days and GOP pollster and focus grouper Frank Luntz appeared to pivot when asked by host Abby Phillip his opinion on Trump’s views on diversity, equity, and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives.

“I think I’m alone in this group,” Luntz said. “I think I’m kind of afraid to be alone in this group. I survey these people. I focus group them, and they are really, really tired of being accused of either racism or sexism because they voted for Donald Trump – and it's one of the reasons why so many of them did.”

He added that “Americans just want to be Americans – not hyphenated Americans, not female Americans, Black Americans, Jewish Americans – they just want to be Americans.”

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But Phillip offered the first pushback from the CNN round table by posing another question to Luntz.

“How do you think it makes people feel – Black people, women, any person who has immutable characteristics about themselves – to be told every time that something happens, that because they exist in a particular role, it is their fault? How does it make them feel?”

“How does it make people feel when they're told that they're a racist?” Luntz responded.

His reply didn’t appear to sit well with the CNN host.

“No, no, no, I mean, no, but answer my question,” she responded. "You're not answering my question."

As Luntz attempted to launch into another response, former Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY) jumped in.

“Your response is in bad faith,” Jones told him. “I mean, what she is saying is something you're not responding to because it doesn't address why Donald Trump immediately went to DEI as an explanation without any evidence whatsoever for what looks to be an inexcusable and certainly a very devastating and tragic plane and helicopter crash a couple of days ago. And instead, you pivot to talking about how terrible it is that some people who voted for Donald Trump are being called racist and sexist. You're refusing to grapple with the central tension.”

“You guys can all jump on me, that’s fine,” Luntz said after he engaged in a back-and-forth with Jones.

“No, no, no, I’m not jumping on you,” Phillip said. “I’m trying to have a conversation with you. It is an option for Donald Trump to respect his voters and not scapegoat race in a situation like that. He chooses not to every time.”

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