Tipsheet

CPAC Straw Poll Results Are In: Respondents Back Trump, Predict a Clinton Democratic Nomination in '24

Attendees of the Conservative Political Action Conference in Miami would support former President Donald Trump should he make another run at the White House in 2024 and believe the Democrats would run 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton instead of President Joe Biden.

The CPAC straw poll announced Sunday afternoon found that 59 percent of respondents would back Trump in a hypothetical 2024 Republican primary, an increase over his 55 percent support from a year ago at the CPAC in Orlando but a decline from his 70 percent standing from the July CPAC in Dallas.

The former president has repeatedly floated the idea over the last year that he would run for president in 2024 but has yet to officially declare his intentions.

Coming in at a distant second place in the 2022 CPAC poll is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who garnered 28 percent of the vote. The governor received 21 percent at the February 2021 CPAC.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo rounded out the top three, receiving the support of just 2 percent of respondents.

When asked who they would support if Trump were not on the ballot, 61 percent of respondents said DeSantis. In this scenario, Pompeo came in second with 6.3 percent support and Donald Trump Jr. took third place, receiving 5.9 percent support.

DeSantis has seen his popularity among conservatives across the country continue to rise over the last year for standing up to coronavirus restrictions like lockdowns and mask mandates.

But Trump's favorability among CPAC attendees remains overwhelmingly high, with 97 percent of straw poll respondents saying they approved of his job performance as president, including 83 percent who strongly approved.

Biden's approval rating among the Republicans at the event, however, was abysmal, with 99 percent of respondents disapproving of his job performance as president thus far.

The straw poll also gave an indication of who Republicans believe will be the Democratic nominee in 2024.

A total of 22 percent of respondents said they would predict Clinton, while 17 percent believe former First Lady Michelle Obama would get the nod. Just 14 percent said they believe Biden would be the Democratic nominee in 2024.

When asked what issue is most important to them, 49 percent said election integrity, 48 percent said immigration and 43 percent said constitutional rights.

According to CPAC, more than 2,500 conference attendees voted in the straw poll.