In the 2028 election cycle, conservative voters are projecting JD Vance as the Republican Party's presidential nominee, according to a straw poll conducted at the 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
The poll, which has previously accurately predicted conservative voting trends, was conducted among over 1,000 attendees of the conference.
Jim McLaughlin, President of McLaughlin & Associates Polls, announced the results from the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland.
"You guys are the conservative movement, you guys are the thought leaders, the opinion leaders. We asked folks who they thought would be the Republican nominee, who they preferred for the Republican for President in 2028. And who is it?," he asked the crowd. "JD Vance. And why? Because he's viewed as the closest thing to Donald Trump," McLaughlin revealed, without providing additional data on Vance's support among CPAC attendees.
As reported by Fox News, other potential Republican nominees, including Steve Bannon, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, were also favored by the attendees, trailing behind Vance.
The conference, which began on Wednesday, concluded on Saturday with a planned speech by President Donald Trump.
McLaughlin emphasized the accuracy of the CPAC straw poll in reflecting conservative views and voting patterns. He recalled how the poll had correctly predicted Trump's victory in the 2024 primary and general election.
"You know how I knew Donald Trump was going to win the people in this room? Because when we did the CPAC polls over the years, and you had the mainstream media saying, you know, 'Donald Trump couldn't win again.' Donald Trump was winning overwhelmingly, not by a little bit, overwhelmingly in every single CPAC poll. You guys knew he was going to win the primary. You all knew that he was going to win the general election, no matter what the Democrats threw at us," he said.
This year's straw poll primarily focused on Trump's approval ratings since he took office. The results showed an impressive 99% approval rating on various issues. "The first few weeks of Donald Trump's presidency have been the best for the modern conservative movement in my lifetime. What do you think about that?" McLaughlin asked, referring to one of the poll questions. "Well, 99% agreed with that. Think about that. We don't see 99% numbers."
"But 99% say this is the best in modern conservative history," McLaughlin added, joined by CPAC chair Matt Schlapp on stage to announce the results. The poll also showed that 99% of respondents believe that Congress rapidly passing Trump's agenda is important, and another 99% think Trump is doing a better job now than in his first administration. Trump's job approval rating, according to the poll, stands at an impressive 99%.
"It's amazing. I've been working as a pollster now going on four decades. . . . We've never seen numbers like this. We've never seen anybody unite the conservative movement the way Donald Trump has done this," McLaughlin said, commenting on Trump's high approval ratings.
Trump's proposal for the U.S. to establish a national security and economic alliance with Greenland also received significant support. "Ninety-three percent of you approve of that, because it just makes sense for economic reasons, for national security reasons," McLaughlin said. "And by the way, we do a little bit of work over in Europe and whatnot. They also think it's a very good idea. Donald Trump again, being a visionary."
The straw poll results were announced just about a month into Trump's second administration, which has been working at an unprecedented pace.
The administration is focused on addressing federal government overspending and potential fraud and mismanagement, reflecting the conservative values of limited government and fiscal responsibility. These results underscore the enduring influence of Trump on the conservative movement and the Republican Party's future trajectory.
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