Abortion advocate Hillary Clinton’s polling numbers are in the tank — especially when it comes to what Americans think about her ability, or lack thereof, to be truthful. A new CBS News focus group convened to find out what average Americans think about the likely Democratic presidential nominee turned out some shocking comments about Hillary Clinton’s inability to tell the truth.
The transcript of the conversation pollster Frank Luntz has with voters is very revealing.
“ She was the worst liar I think I’ve ever seen in my life,” one voter says, while another adds, “She lied about lying. I mean hard is it.”
Below is the transcript and video:
FRANK LUNTZ, CBS NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: You don’t trust Hillary Clinton?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not at all.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
LUNTZ: You don’t trust Donald Trump?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not as much.
LUNTZ: How could he be more qualified than Hillary Clinton?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean Hillary Clinton hasn’t done anything that has made her qualified. The only thing –
LUNTZ: United States senator. Secretary of state. First lady.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not at all.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
LUNTZ: You don’t trust Donald Trump?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not as much.
LUNTZ: How could he be more qualified than Hillary Clinton?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean Hillary Clinton hasn’t done anything that has made her qualified. The only thing –
LUNTZ: United States senator. Secretary of state. First lady.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I’m sorry to say she’s a flip flopper. That’s just the way it is. She’s a – for me, I – I see character because people stand – people’s stance on issues can change, as we have all seen. Character defines who you are, not what you do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And titles aren’t accomplishments.
LUNTZ: So I’m going to play for viewers at home that clip that you reacted to and then I want to understand why you resented it so much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You talk about leveling with the American people. Have you always told the truth?
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I’ve always tried to. Always. Always.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some people are going to call that wiggle room that you just gave yourself –
CLINTON: Well, no, I –
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Always, always tried to.
CLINTON: No, I’ve always tried to.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, you know, Jimmy Carter said, I will never lie to you.
CLINTON: Well, but that’s a – but, you know, you’re asking me to say, have I ever – I don’t believe I ever have.
LUNTZ: What was wrong?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She just – you could turn off the sound and still see on her face that she was lying. She was the worst liar I think I’ve ever seen in my life.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She lied about lying. I mean hard is it –
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For me it comes down to – to literally a – a bottom line decision to what length am I willing to go to keep Trump out of the White House.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean – no, no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why do I have to pick the lesser of two evils to – for someone to run the free world? This is supposed to be the greatest country on earth and right now we’re being forced to pick the lesser of two evils.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All these people keep saying that there’s two Donald Trumps. Well, first off, I’d like a president with one personality. But if that other personality is better, can we see that, please?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That he already said he’s going to – he’s a chameleon and that he’ll be totally different when he takes office. So even if he changed, would we even know if that’s the real Donald Trump?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I’m 46. I have every single – I have voted in every single election, always for a Republican, and I will not vote if it’s Donald Trump.
LUNTZ: How can you not?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because I don’t – I’m not bound to my party. I am bound to my country and to my God and to myself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The country’s more important.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because neither candidate is acceptable. And there are going to be a lot of Republicans like me who are going to hope for a brokered convention. That somebody’s going to emerge from the convention and have an acceptable, conservative real Republican as our nominee.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That’s what I hear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is great opportunity –
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: that’s what I hear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is what we’re demonstrating. There is a great opportunity for someone. And that person had better come forward fast because if the Republican put Donald Trump up and if the Democrats put Hillary Clinton, it will be the worst turnout election ever.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have been voting straight Republican for over 30 years and at this point in time I need to be able to look my grandson in the eye and tell him that I voted with principle. I supported a candidate of principle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And right now we don’t have one.
