KEY POINTS

  • Attendees were asked who they'd vote for in the GOP primaries if Trump announced his 2024 bid
  • Attendees named Gov. Newsom as the Democrat they believe would be hard to defeat for president in 2024
  • Trump claimed he won the 2020 election during his speech at the Student Action Summit

Former President Donald Trump dominated a youth straw poll for the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, according to a report.

Attendees of the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit on Sunday were asked who they would vote for in the 2024 Republican presidential primary should Trump decide to run for the presidency again. Trump dominated the straw poll with at least 78.7% support, as first reported by Fox News.

In contrast, Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., only received 19% of the votes. Only 1% said they would vote for Gov. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., and 0.5% said they would vote for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Only 0.3% of attendees said they would support Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, former ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence.

The straw poll also asked attendees to name a Democrat they believe would be hard to defeat for president in 2024. At least 30.3% named Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif.; 13.6% named former first lady Michelle Obama; 10.5% named Hillary Clinton; and 10.3% named Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

It is unclear whether Trump will make a 2024 bid for the presidency. He has yet to make an official announcement of his plans. However, Trump on Saturday again hinted at a possible run, telling Student Action Summit attendees that he may win the 2024 election after he “won the 2020 election,” a claim that has previously been proven to be false.

“I did much better in the second time than I did the first. Getting millions and millions more votes than we did in 2016, and likewise, getting more votes than any sitting president in the history of our country by far, and now we may just have to do it again,” Trump said in his speech.

The conference, which began Friday and ended on Sunday, was interrupted by a shouting match between left-leaning protesters and a group of neo-Nazis holding up swastika flags and antisemitic signs outside the convention’s location Saturday night, The Hill reported.

According to the outlet, the protesters were demonstrating against the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The neo-Nazi group, in contrast, was distributing flyers that claimed the Jews were behind the abortions.

The protest groups dispersed quietly. Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet also said they “100%” condemn neo-Nazi ideologies and added that the group has “nothing to do” with the organization.

Former president Donald Trump faces potential prosecution for his efforts to overturn the 2020 US election
Former president Donald Trump faces potential prosecution for his efforts to overturn the 2020 US election GETTY IMAGES via AFP / JOE RAEDLE