>> the house is taking a break now. members will be back for votes at 4:30 eastern. one vote will be on whether to repeal a washington, d.c., policing law. votes on measures to ban transgender student athletes from playing women's and girls spores will be postponed until tomorrow. house members will be briefed about other issues as well. >> since 1979 in partnership with the cable industry c-span has provided complete coverage of the halls of congress from house and senate floors to congressional hearings, party briefings and committee meetings. c-span gives you a front row seat to how issues are debated and decided with no commentary, no interruptions, and completely

unfiltered. c-span, your unfiltered view of government. >> c-span is your unfiltered view of government. we're funded by these television companies and more including charter communications. >> charter is proud to be recognized as one of the best internet providers. we're just getting started. 100,000 miles of new infrastructure to reach those who need it most. >> charter communications supports c-span as a public service. along with these other television providers. giving you a front row seat to democracy. host: welcome back ton journal. i i'm joined now by frank luntz. he is a pollster and political strategist. welcome to the program. caller: i used

-- guest: i.e. used to come here every year at christmas. . -- guest: i used to come here every year at christmas. i am grateful to be back. host: let's start with what you do. you are a republican strategist. guest: i don't think they think of me as a republican. i am trying to seek common ground. it is part of what i write about, it is part of. what i talk abouti -- it is part of what i talk about. i am still a pollster, but i try to do it in a nicer way. i am curious when we get to the phones. when i was last year about five years ago on christmas day, i was shocked at how angry people were. merry christmas, hope you have a wonderful holiday, and they were

yelling at me! the right wing was yelling at me for not being right-wing enough, the left-wing was yelling at me for not being left-wing, and the people in the center were mad at everybody. i hope the people calling in this tuesday morning will remember there are children watching. my ideal right now, and i don't have any photographs, is -- my mission is teaching. i m teaching at west point now. i teach at the african leadership university in rwanda. these students, i love them because most of them are open-minded. most of them are seeking to learn from people with other perspectives, and most of them embrace the truth. that is what we have to be

looking for right now in this country, the truth, not the donald trump truth, but the actual truth. host: if you would like to join the conversation and ask a question, you can call us on our lines by put goal affiliation. republicans, (202) 748-8000. democrats, (202) 748-8001. and independents, (202) 748-8002 . speaking of donald trump, he wrote an opinion in the new york times. what is it about? guest: it is about a strategy that recognizes his successes as president but that also acknowledges that his demeanor is not what we need right now in this country. it is a primer for those who believe in free markets, for those who seek more freedom in their lives to engage in

politics but without the nastiness and the viciousness. we should be trying to figure out what we call our opponents, the name-calling, which is reserved for junior high school students on the playground. we should have presidents who are role models for our kids and our grandchildren. it is a discussion of where we are as a political party, where we are headed as a nation, and what the republicans can do to get back into the game without rowing themselves to a level of incivility that would embarrass them, their neighbors and their children. host: all the polls are showing former president trump way ahead of his next closest rival, which is governor desantis. even he has not announced either way if he is running.

everybody is assuming he is going to run. he is acting like he is. what are your thoughts? guest: i don't know why governor desantis has chosen to make disney an enemy. mickey mouse, donald duck, this is a wonderful company. when i go to the parks, there is just such joy -- at least in the morning, maybe not in the afternoon! host: it is the happiest place on earth. guest: it is. his rising -- he is trying to use disney. florida is a success story, so i are you demonizing a company? i always thought that republicans were pro-business and democrats were prolabor. that is what i thought. why is governor desantis demonizing a company that employs more people than any

other in the state of florida? to score political points off of them. when they actually succeed at something, he tries to take it away. once again, it is turned upside down. for the democrats, we have a debt crisis in this country right now. it is not a problem, it is a crisis. joe biden will not even negotiate with the speaker of the house. he is trying to force the speaker into politically untenable positions. they should be working together side-by-side to address this, and instead they are seeking to score political points. both sides are doing it. both sides are responsible and you have to cut it out because our economy is at stake. we know the challenges china poses to us right now. we argue over pronouns as they eat our lunch with the economy!

we tried to score political points as they jeopardize the safety and security, not just of taiwan, but of cambodia, korea, japan. we have to stop playing games, and we have to start appreciating the benefits that this country offers. this was not me 10 years ago! host: what changed, frank? guest: i got sick, had a stroke. i am having issues once again, so i am really focused on every minute of every hour of every day. you can hear it in my voice. i realize that democracy is not just a given. host: when did you realize that? guest: in 2016 during the election when i watched people who had been decent to each other into civil to each other start to explode on each other

and accuse each other. we are not enemies. we can disagree, but we are not enemies. we are not sworn to destroy the other side. i don't understand the reasoning that the only way i can win is if you lose. we are losing this sense of cooperation and empathy. i had the opportunity to sit with the leader of jordan, and i was telling him of the challenges i had, and he said to me "you have to be able to walk in the shoes of others. once you have empathy, you understand the perspective of others, you can find common ground." instead of seeking that empathy, we seek division. instead of seeking common ground, we seek to draw the sharpest lines. there is something more important than the 2024 election, and that is the future of this country, the future of your family.