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Trump Is Top Vote-Getter in CPAC 2024 Presidential Straw Poll

Trump Is Top Vote-Getter in CPAC 2024 Presidential Straw Poll

Former President Donald Trump, who teased on Saturday he could run again in 2024, was the clear choice in a presidential straw poll of attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference, ahead of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Trump had an approval rating of 97% and was the choice of 59% of 2,574 attendees in Orlando who voted, followed by DeSantis at 28%. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had 2%, and a number of other potential candidates had 1% or less.

In a separate question without Trump as a candidate, DeSantis led with 61%, followed by Pompeo and the former president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., at 6% each. Two-thirds of Trump’s support went to DeSantis in the survey without Trump in the field, pollster Jim McLaughlin said.

Trump Is Top Vote-Getter in CPAC 2024 Presidential Straw Poll

While it’s unscientific, the poll released Sunday is seen as an indication of sentiment among GOP activists and grassroots voters. Republicans were looking to the poll results to gauge the standing of Trump and his potential rivals in 2024, especially DeSantis.

Support for Trump was up slightly from the 55% in the CPAC straw poll last February in Orlando but down from the 70% in the poll taken at a CPAC gathering in Dallas last July. DeSantis was second in both polls and also led the field without Trump in the field.

As he has at his rallies and interviews with friendly media outlets, Trump teased during his Saturday speech at CPAC that he plans to run again in 2024, saying, “We did it twice, and we’ll do it again. We’re going to be doing it again a third time.”

Trump often says his supporters will be happy about his 2024 decision but that he can’t make a formal announcement because of campaign finance rules. By not declaring, Trump is free to use the millions of dollars from his political action committees to act very much like a candidate without the restrictions that come with an announcement -- while helping to freeze other potential 2024 candidates.

DeSantis gave a rousing speech at CPAC on Thursday touting his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and opposition to Biden and national Democrats, even throwing out hats to the crowd before his speech as Trump does at his rallies. DeSantis never mentioned Trump during his 20-minute speech.

The CPAC agenda featured other potential 2024 GOP candidates including Pompeo, Texas Senator Ted Cruz and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, but not former Vice President Mike Pence. 

Pence drew the ire of Trump and his supporters for not rejecting Electoral College votes for President Joe Biden on Jan. 6, 2021, and for saying in a Feb. 4 speech that Trump was “wrong” to say Pence could have overturned the election.

©2022 Bloomberg L.P.