ORLANDO, Fla. – Other than former President Donald Trump’s address on Saturday evening, Sunday’s results of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) straw poll are the most anticipated moment at this weekend’s gathering in Florida.
Voting among registered attendees has been underway since Thursday among the thousands of people taking part at the confab in Orlando, which is the oldest and largest gathering of conservative leaders and activists.
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"CPAC is a good barometer of the most active grassroots of the party," veteran Republican pollster and political consultant Frank Luntz told Fox News. "I expect Trump to win the straw poll big, mirroring his front-runner position right now."
Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (AP)
While there is little drama over whether Trump will once again top the ballot, there is plenty of anticipation over how much of a winning margin he secures and the percentage of support likely second place finisher Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida receives.
Thirteen months removed from the White House, Trump remains by far the most popular and influential politician in the GOP, as he continues to play a kingmaker’s role in the 2022 Republican Party primaries.
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During his marathon speech Saturday night that went for over an hour in the jam-packed ballroom, the former president once again teased another White House run in 2024, repeating his pledge that the GOP would recapture the presidency.
"They're going to find out the hard way starting Nov. 8 and even more so starting November 2024," Trump predicted of the Democrats' chances in the next two elections.
And he charged that "we're going to kick the Biden crime family out of the White House in 2024."
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Trump did not provide anything more specific than that in his speech, and the former president was mum about the next presidential race in an interview with Fox News just ahead of his address.
While Trump remains hands down the most powerful figure in the GOP, his flirtations are not preventing other potential 2024 contenders from making early moves, such as stopping in the early presidential primary and caucus states and parachuting into influential conservative confabs such as CPAC.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (AP)
DeSantis came in second in both the CPAC Orlando straw poll last February and the Dallas straw poll last July, finishing each time at 21%. His standing in the straw polls was more proof of his soaring popularity among conservatives nationwide for his resistance to lockdowns and other COVID restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic the past two years. Of note, DeSantis did not mention Trump’s name during his well-received address on Thursday afternoon.
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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, the runner-up to Trump in the 2016 Republican presidential nomination race, says he is in no rush to make a decision about another White House run, but along with former New Jersey governor and 2016 presidential candidate Chris Christie, Cruz is one of the few who publicly discusses another bid.
Asked about his timetable in 2024, when he is also up for reelection to the Senate, Cruz told Fox News, "There'll be plenty of time for that. Everybody is waiting to see what Donald Trump decides to do. He gets to decide first, and we will find out. Nobody knows what Trump will do and everyone will react accordingly."
Ooffering a little taste of his national ambitions, he highlighted: "I am committed to this fight for the long term. I'm committed to fighting to save this country with every breath in my body, and I've never seen the threat so dire….I think the American people are ready for a change. It's coming in twenty-two and it's coming in twenty-four."
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Cruz was one of the headliners on Thursday night, as was another conservative firebrand in the Senate – Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri.
Asked about a potential presidential run, Hawley pivoted to his own reelection race that year, saying that "hopefully in 2024 the good people of Missouri will have me for another term in the United States Senate … I’m focused on my home state of Missouri."
Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s upcoming travels schedule is raising eyebrows, with the Tennessee Republican's upcoming trips to Iowa and New Hampshire -- the states that for decades have kicked off the presidential nominating calendar. Asked about her upcoming stops, Blackburn did not shutdown speculation but instead said her trips were about helping Republicans running in this year’s elections.
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"I'm working to make certain we take the majority back in 2022. And in Iowa, I will be there to help and support Sen. Grassley and the members of Congress," Blackburn explained.
"We've got great female members there. We're really proud of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who will give the Republican response to the State of the Union. And in New Hampshire, we're going in to help campaigns and the state party," the senator added.
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Among the other potential 2024 contenders speaking at CPAC are Rick Scott and Marco Rubio of Florida, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, and even the former president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.
Fox Nation is the Featuring Sponsor of CPAC 2022. Watch CPAC speeches live and on-demand on Fox Nation. Sign up using promo code CPAC to receive a 30-day free trial. Offer ends April 30, 2022.
Fox News' Kelly Laco and Brooke Singman contributed to this report
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