Trump beats DeSantis as GOP 2024 presidential favorite in CPAC straw poll
The CPAC poll results are a sharp turnaround from a straw poll taken last month for the Western Conservative Summit.
By HALEY COHENTHEN-US PRESIDENT Donald Trump winks at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a joint news conference in the White House in January. (photo credit: BRENDAN MCDERMID/REUTERS)
Former President Donald Trump has hinted at a presidential run in 2024, and according to an informal straw poll conducted over the weekend at the Conservative Political Action Conference, he's the lead candidate for the GOP nominee-- by a large margin, the New York Post reported. The survey reportedly asked participants at the three-day political gathering in Dallas who they would vote for in the Republican primary if it were held today. Trump received the support of 70% of the CPAC attendees in the poll, towering over runner-up Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who obtained 20% of the vote, according the Post. No other candidate received more than 1 percent in the Sunday poll, the Post said. The CPAC poll results are a sharp turnaround from a straw poll taken last month for the Western Conservative Summit. In the latter, the Florida state governor surpassed the survey with 74.12% of the vote, compared to Trump's 71.43%. Lingering behind Trump in the summit poll results was Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who took 42.86%, followed by former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo at 39.35% and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott at 35.58%.
