Conservatives overwhelmingly back JD Vance for 2028 in Turning Point USA poll at AmericaFest

PHOENIX, ARIZONA: Conservatives attending Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest 2025 sent a clear message about the future of the Republican Party. A straw poll conducted during the conference, held over the weekend, showed overwhelming support for Vice President JD Vance as the GOP’s preferred presidential nominee in 2028.

The poll, conducted by Big Data Poll and released by Turning Point USA, surveyed thousands of conference attendees on leadership, policy priorities, and the biggest threats facing the country.

Turning Point USA straw poll shows JD Vance dominating 2028 Republican field

According to the official straw poll, 84.2% of respondents said they would support Vance as the GOP nominee. The margin was so wide that no other potential contender came close. Secretary of State Marco Rubio finished a distant second with 4.8%, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at 2.9%.

Andrew Kolvet, a spokesman for Turning Point USA, told Fox News Digital that the results reflected the strongest show of unity the organization has seen since it began conducting straw polls.

“From the responses, it’s clear the movement is all-in for JD Vance in 2028, winning the most support in the history of our poll,” Kolvet said.

Kolvet explained that the organization intentionally focused on divisive issues to gauge where the conservative base currently stands.

“There are bright dividing lines in the conservative movement right now, so we wanted to get clarity on where the base is on these hot-button issues in Turning Point Action’s official AmericaFest 2025 straw poll,” he said.

Border security and deportations rank as top Trump administration achievements

When asked to name the most significant accomplishment of President Donald Trump’s administration, nearly 60% of attendees pointed to securing the southern border. Another 22.2% cited deportations as the administration’s most important achievement.

Those responses aligned closely with broader concerns expressed throughout the poll, particularly around immigration and national security.

Kolvet said the timing of the poll was significant, as it was conducted just months after the death of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. He added that organizers wanted a clearer sense of the mood within the conservative base, noting that several trends stood out strongly in the results.

Winning the 2026 midterms emerges as conservatives’ top priority

By a wide margin, conference attendees said winning the 2026 midterm elections should be the conservative movement’s top priority.

According to the poll, 63.9% of respondents said preserving Republican majorities in the House and Senate should take precedence over all other goals. Voter integrity and voter ID laws ranked second at 9.3%, followed by concerns over affordability at 8.1%.

Other priorities included mass deportations at 5.3% and accountability for what respondents described as “deep state” lawfare at 4.2%.

Poll shows radical Islam, socialism and mass migration seen as biggest threats

When asked to identify the greatest threat facing the United States, the most common response was radical Islam, followed closely by socialism and Marxism.

Mass migration ranked third, while the economy and affordability concerns placed fourth. Nearly 90% of respondents said they would support a temporary moratorium on new immigration into the United States.

Kolvet said the responses show how interconnected these issues are for conservative voters.

“Above all, conservatives are laser focused on winning the midterms and fixing mass migration, which they clearly see as connected to the rise of radical Islam, socialism, and crime,” he said.

Cabinet approval ratings highlight strong support and growing skepticism

The poll also measured approval ratings for President Trump’s Cabinet, revealing strong support for several high-profile officials.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth received the highest strong-approval rating, with 83.3% of attendees saying they strongly approve of his performance. Overall, 94.7% said they either strongly or somewhat approve of Hegseth, whose tenure has included renaming the Department of Defense, eliminating DEI initiatives in the military and targeting cartel drug operations.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr received the highest overall approval, with 96.8% saying they approve to some degree. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also scored high marks, with 76.6% approval.

Attorney General Pam Bondi drew the highest disapproval numbers, though a majority still expressed approval. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem received broad support, with over 90% approving of her job performance.

Poll reflects conservative base identity and priorities ahead of 2026

According to the data, 88.3% of respondents identified as Republican, while 94.7% described themselves as conservative.

Kolvet said the poll underscores how central immigration remains to conservative political energy.

“It’s clear that immigration remains the key to energizing the base ahead of the midterms,” he said, adding that attendees continue to see Israel as an important US ally despite ongoing debate within political circles.