….Wins CPAC straw poll with overwhelming majority
United States Vice President JD Vance was the overwhelming choice of Grand Old Party (GOP) activists to be the 2028 Republican presidential nominee, according to the annual straw poll of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
In results released Saturday afternoon, Vance was the choice of 61% of CPAC attendees. Former Trump counselor and conservative activist, Steve Bannon came in a distant second with 12%, while Florida Gov. and one-time Trump rival, Ron DeSantis came in third with 7% support.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and incoming UN ambassador Elise Stefanik both had the support of 3% of conference-goers.
The poll results, one of the most watched moments of the Republican confab, is followed closely by politicians, fundraisers and the press as a barometer of the mood of conservatives.
The results also showed that President Trump enjoyed an unprecedented 99% approval rating among the group.
A further 99% of participants said they agreed with the statement “The first few weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency have been the best for the modern conservative movement in my lifetime” — with 94% saying they “strongly agreed.”
In a twist, the poll this year delved into knotty constitutional issues as well. In a question which admitted that Congress has the constitutional power to set funding levels for federal agencies, the poll asked whether Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) should be allowed to have control over these levels instead.
A full 89% of CPAC attendees said Trump and DOGE should be in charge of funding issues — with just 5% siding with Congress.
