“He’s more popular than ever,” said Trump pollster Jim McLaughlin, who conducted the poll.
McLaughlin announced the results of the CPAC Texas main stage about two hours before Trump’s scheduled appearance. Of those who voted, 69 percent said they preferred Trump, and 24 percent said they preferred Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
When asked who they would prefer if Trump didn’t run for president, 65 percent of respondents said they would prefer DeSantis, while 8 percent said they would support Donald Trump Jr.
The straw poll is not a scientific survey, limited to CPAC participants and not representative of the wider Republican electorate.
The results mirror previous CPAC polls since Trump left office, which showed the former president leading conservative activists with DeSantis as the most popular alternative.
In the July 2021 CPAC straw polls, Trump was at the top of the Republican field with the support of 70 percent of attendees, compared with 21 percent who chose DeSantis last year.
