The next presidential election may seem far off. But each party is already preparing.
And now one Republican just shot to the head of the 2028 presidential race.
Overwhelming Support for JD Vance as Future Leader
A straw poll conducted at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest this weekend demonstrated resounding enthusiasm among young conservatives for Vice President JD Vance as the Republican presidential nominee in 2028.
When asked their preferred choice for the 2028 GOP nomination, an impressive 84.2% of participants selected Vice President JD Vance, dwarfing the support for others—Secretary of State Marco Rubio at 4.8% and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 2.9%.
TPUSA spokesman Andrew Kolvet told Fox News Digital that the results paint a vivid portrait of the conservative grassroots.
Kolvet emphasized that the data shows “the movement is all-in for JD Vance in 2028, winning the most support in the history of our poll.”
He noted, “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.”
“We wanted to get a real read on where the base is at after Charlie’s assassination, and a few things really jump off the page,” he said.
Base Priorities: Border Security and Electoral Victories
Attendees hailed securing the border as the Trump administration’s top achievement, with nearly 60% citing it first, followed by 22.2% pointing to ongoing deportations—reflecting the administration’s strong focus on protecting American sovereignty.
Looking ahead, conservatives identified winning the 2026 midterms as the movement’s paramount goal, with 63.9% prioritizing it to solidify Republican control of Congress.
Other key issues included voter integrity/voter ID (9.3%), tackling the affordability crisis (8.1%), mass deportations (5.3%), and holding the deep state accountable (4.2%).
On threats to America, radical Islam topped the list, closely followed by socialism and Marxism, mass migration, and economic challenges—underscoring the base’s America First mindset.
A resounding 89.5% backed a moratorium on new immigration, aligning with the administration’s tough stance on border control.
Regarding Israel, over half (53.4%) viewed it as “one ally out of many,” with a third calling it America’s “top ally” and 13.3% saying “not an ally.”
Strong Approval for Trump Cabinet Standouts
The poll highlighted robust backing for key Trump Cabinet members among the energized conservative crowd.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth emerged as a favorite, earning 83.3% strong approval and a total 94.7% overall approval for his decisive leadership— including renaming the department, eliminating DEI initiatives, and aggressively targeting cartel drug operations in the Caribbean.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also garnered high marks, with overall approvals of 76.6% and an exceptional 96.8%, respectively—the latter reflecting gratitude for Kennedy’s bold health reforms.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, leading the charge on deportations and border enforcement, enjoyed 90.1% approval.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy both scored in the 80s.
Attorney General Pam Bondi faced more mixed views, with some skepticism noted amid ongoing priorities, though 64.8% still approved of her performance.
Less familiarity was shown for figures like Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and others, with many respondents unsure.
With 88.3% identifying as Republican and 94.7% as conservative, Kolvet summarized that attendees “see Israel as an important ally of the United States despite so much chatter to the contrary” and strongly support the work of Hegseth, Rubio, and RFK Jr., while expressing reservations about DOJ progress.
“Above all,” Kolvet said that 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 added that “it’s clear that immigration remains the key to energizing the base ahead of the midterms.”
