Mark Penn: Democrats “Having Fun” With MAGA Republicans Because They Know They’re Upset Over Epstein Files
Democratic pollster Mark Penn told FOX News host Laura Ingraham that Democrats are trying to “tweak” President Donald Trump with outrage from his base over the Epstein files.
LAURA INGRAHAM: Here to discuss Mark Penn Polster, former Clinton advisor. Mark, to me, look, I think some of the messaging on this and the over-promising, under-delivering, look, it always can be done better. And in this case, maybe it could have been done better. But if the Democrats are so obsessed about this now, why didn’t they push for the files, if they even exist, as people think they may, to be released when Biden was actually in office? MARK PENN: Well, you know that the Democrats didn’t want it released when they had control of these files. And they’re just trying to tweak Trump now because they know that some of the MAGA Republicans are upset that they didn’t get what they wanted out of the Epstein files or what they thought they would get out of the Epstein files. And so they’re kind of having fun with MAGA. And I think that probably MAGA Republicans are smart enough to realize that the [Democrats] are just having fun with them. LAURA INGRAHAM: Yeah. And I said this last night, but it’s different being a podcaster or a media personality or a cable host or a pundit of any sort than being president of the United States, when you have a lot of competing considerations and a lot on the line, right? It’s just a different thing. But I think we all get kind of caught up in this moment of like, scream about something, be happy about something because it keeps you going. But in reality, I think the polling shows that the American people, and especially Republicans, they’re focused on the economy, and they’re focused on this border issue. And they want both to keep going in terms of Trump’s policies. MARK PENN: Well, I think that’s right. I think Trump is more or less at a personal high in terms of overall approval and personal approval. I think the country is feeling somewhat better off than they were feeling under the Biden administration. They’re still waiting to see exactly how the economy comes out. Far and away, inflation is the number one issue. Immigration is the number two issue. I think you see maybe health care and deficits and things coming up. But you really don’t see the Epstein files on the top 10 or 15 issues here that the voters really care about. LAURA INGRAHAM: Mark, what about this idea of the Republicans being, I mean, Democrats, excuse me, trying to be more brash and tough guy and more like Trump style? I mean, I can’t believe they actually let that out to The Washington Post. But what do you think about that as a way to turn their brand around? MARK PENN: Well, interestingly, you know, who’s really popular among the Democrats? Somebody like Fetterman is actually genuinely popular if you mean getting over 50 percent. And so the idea of being kind of brasher and more dug in and kind of more dogmatic and more to the the Democrats have a base. It is a it is a base that hates Trump. That base is not going anywhere. And playing to that base is what gives the Democrats now the lowest ratings that they have had in decades of polling. And, you know, 40 percent favorable rating for the party just won’t do it in a presidential election where you need 47, 48.