A focus group that watched former President Donald Trump debate Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday revealed some surprising insights as the candidates touched on key issues in the election.

Lee Carter, pollster and president of Maslansky + Partners, conducted the focus group for Fox News, which included having voters react through the use of turn dials that allowed them to respond moment-by-moment to what each candidate was saying.

The most surprising result was that on all the major issues — the economy, inflation, illegal immigration and the border, and energy — independents tracked in nearly perfect unison with Republican voters while Democrats had the inverse reactions.

On those issues, Democrats responded in a strong positive manner to Harris’ attacks on Trump’s economic agenda. Those same Democrat voters only responded in a moderately positive manner on the rest of the issues.

The independent and Republican voters responded in a strong positive manner to what Trump said and in a strong negative manner to what Harris said.

The takeaway here is that Trump wins on the issues when he sticks to them and does not take the bait that his opponent and the moderators try to trip him up with.

“I was really, really surprised because the intensity of the independent support was there for Donald Trump and I didn’t expect it,” Carter told Fox News host Harris Faulkner on “The Faulkner Focus.”

“Independents are tracking very much with Republicans,” she added. “They’re looking for a couple of things. They’re looking for answers on immigration, they’re looking for answers on the economy. They want to hear that things will get better for them and they also want change from what is happening right now. One of the most important things they were looking for last night from Kamala Harris is how are you going to make it different?”

WATCH:

Independents tracked almost perfectly with Republicans during the debate

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On the major issues — economy, inflation, illegal immigration, energy — independents sided with Republicans

Democrats weren’t huge fans of some of her answers pic.twitter.com/Z25a2VuNDU

— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) September 12, 2024