Grassroots conservatives expressed strong early support for Vice President JD Vance as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, according to a straw poll conducted at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest. Vance received 84.2% support among respondents, far outpacing other potential Republican contenders.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio placed second with 4.8%, followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 2.9% and Donald Trump Jr. at 1.8%, according to the poll results.
“JD Vance won the 2028 nomination straw poll by more than Donald Trump won the 2024 one we did two years ago,” Blake Neff, producer of the “Charlie Kirk Show,” said on X. Two years ago, President Trump clinched 82.6% support, followed by DeSantis at 7.6%.
Vance was the final featured speaker at the AmericaFest gathering in Phoenix. Ahead of his remarks, Turning Point USA Chief Executive Officer Erika Kirk offered remarks that attendees interpreted as an endorsement of Vance for the presidency in 2028.
The country’s No. 2 elected official has led early polling among potential Republican contenders for the 2028 presidential election. He has publicly stated, however, that he is not currently focused on a future presidential bid.
“We’re going to win the midterms. We’re going to do everything that we can to win the midterms,” Vance told Fox News’ “Hannity” when asked about his 2028 plans earlier this month. “And then after that, I’m going to sit down with the president of the United States and talk to him about it.”
Nevertheless, that doesn’t prevent him from occasionally targeting potential Democratic rivals for 2028.
“Democrats are already talking about 2028 and it looks like they’re going to nominate a California liberal who’s presided over rolling blackouts, open borders and unchecked violent gangs,” Vance said during his AmericaFest speech Sunday. “They’re just trying to settle on whether it’s going to be Gavin Newsom or Kamala Harris.”
Some GOP critics, including Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, are not completely convinced by Vance and are seeking a candidate with a more libertarian perspective.
Trump has not endorsed a potential successor, with the next presidential election still three years away. The president continues to maintain strong support among grassroots conservative activists, according to the straw poll results.
Respondents cited border security as Trump’s most significant accomplishment, with 60% selecting it as their top priority, followed by his administration’s mass deportation efforts at 22.2%. The poll also found that 89.5% of participants said they would support a temporary moratorium on immigration to the United States, the New York Post reported, noting the straw polling results.
Looking ahead, 63.9% of respondents identified winning the upcoming midterm elections as the leading priority for the conservative movement.
Among Trump’s cabinet members, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. achieved the highest job approval rating at 96.8%. He was followed by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth with a 94.7% approval rating, and Marco Rubio with a 91.1% approval rating.
On the other hand, Attorney General Pam Bondi had the highest disapproval rating, with 29% of respondents either strongly or somewhat disapproving of her performance. She was the only cabinet official to receive a double-digit disapproval rating, noted The Post.
“The poll found that 94.7% of respondents consider themselves conservatives and 88.3% Republicans,” the outlet added.
Nearly two months after a widely shared embrace between the two, Erika — who has assumed leadership of the organization following her husband’s assassination — appeared on stage at the Phoenix Convention Center last week to formally back Vance’s anticipated White House bid.
“We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible,” she told thousands of activists, per video of her speech that was posted online. The announcement was met with loud applause, People magazine noted.
If he does run, Turning Point USA could offer a significant boost. The nonprofit has become a major force in conservative youth organizing and MAGA politics, building substantial influence within the Republican grassroots through its nationwide campus network, expansive digital reach and ability to mobilize activists on behalf of candidates.
