Most attendees at Turning Point Action Conference back Trump for 2024 GOP primary.
EXCLUSIVE: Trump Wins Republican Presidential Primary Straw Poll at Turning Point Action Conference
Attendees at the Turning Point Action Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida, have overwhelmingly voted former President Donald Trump as the winner of the Republican presidential primary straw poll. The results of the poll, conducted by the Trafalgar Group, were exclusively provided to the Washington Examiner.
Three Takeaways from Day One of Turning Point Action Conference
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- Most conference-goers preferred Trump for the nomination, with 85.7% supporting the former president.
- Businessman Perry Johnson, who spoke on day two of the event, came in second with 7.8% of the votes.
- Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) followed with 4.3% of the votes, despite not attending the event in his home state.
DeSantis’ campaign press secretary, Bryan Griffin, explained that the governor spent the day with Iowans and delivered speeches at other important events. However, his absence seemed to have affected his showing in the poll.
For their second preference, half of the respondents chose Vivek Ramaswamy, who also spoke at the conference, deviating from national polling. Twenty-one percent named Trump as their second pick, and 13.5% said Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).
Founder and CEO Charlie Kirk stated, ”The straw poll demonstrates that President Trump remains the single most dominant force among the conservative grassroots. All the attacks against him have seemingly made him even stronger and more popular among the conservative faithful.”
Kirk also acknowledged the impact of DeSantis’ absence, saying, “Vivek showed up and gave a great speech, and he was the clear second-choice favorite among our people.”
Kirk called Ramasamy’s results “remarkable” and highlighted the shifting passions and priorities of base conservatives.
Presidential candidates former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez also spoke during the event. Notably, former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, and DeSantis were all invited but declined the invitation.
According to the poll, 30% of respondents said Kari Lake should be vice president, 24% said Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), and 22% said Ramaswamy.
Roughly half of the conference’s approximate 6,000 attendees were college-aged individuals between the ages of 18-21, while the other half were of varying ages. Only about half of the attendees responded to the poll.
There was measurable support for Gov. Ron DeSantis from attendees, who were disappointed that they would not hear from him on this occasion. Enthusiasm for DeSantis was evident, with positive thoughts and messages of support posted on a large cardboard cutout of his face outside the main hall.
The poll also surveyed attendees on public policy issues. More than 95% expressed their opposition to United States involvement in the war in Ukraine. The southern border was voted the most important issue facing America, with nearly a quarter of respondents agreeing. Just under 60% said they were excited for the Republican National Committee’s primary debate next month, despite the possibility of Trump not attending.
Furthermore, two-thirds of respondents expressed their lack of trust in the RNC to get voters to the polls in 2024. A majority, 77%, also stated that they do not plan to donate to the party. Interestingly, nearly 90% said the GOP should ”embrace early voting and vote banking.”
National polling from Morning Consult shows Trump with 56% support among potential primary voters, followed by DeSantis with 17%.
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