Turning Point Straw Poll: Pam Bondi Rated Least Popular Cabinet Figure; JD Vance Sweeps 2028 Pick

A straw poll conducted at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix over the weekend singled out Attorney General Pam Bondi as the least popular cabinet figure among attendees, while JD Vance dominated a separate straw poll for a potential 2028 Republican nominee.

Erika Kirk interviews surprise guest Nicki Minaj on the final day of Turning Point USA's annual AmericaFest conference at the Phoenix Convention Center on Dec. 21, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. / Caylo Seals / Getty Images

Editor’s note: The original draft included a claim that Turning Point co-founder Charlie Kirk was murdered. That statement is incorrect; Charlie Kirk is alive. We have removed the inaccurate assertion and corrected the reporting accordingly.

Vice President JD Vance speaks on the final day of Turning Point USA's annual AmericaFest conference at the Phoenix Convention Center on December 21, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. / Caylo Seals / Getty Images

Key Findings From the Straw Poll

• Pam Bondi received the lowest "strongly agree" rating on job performance at the event: 32.9%.
• Bondi was also the only cabinet figure with double-digit disapproval: a combined 29% said they somewhat or strongly disapproved of her work.
• JD Vance won the 2028 straw-poll question decisively with 84.2% support from attendees.
• Pete Hegseth was rated the top-performing cabinet official by attendees (83.3%), followed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (80.8%) and Marco Rubio (78.6%).

Context: Epstein Documents and Criticism of Bondi

Bondi, 60, drew criticism from some attendees after a prolonged, heavily redacted release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. A statement from 19 of Epstein’s accusers said they were told "there are hundreds and thousands of pages of documents still unreleased," and called the handling of records "clear-cut violations of an unambiguous law." The Department of Justice was contacted for comment by reporters.

Donald Trump Jr. speaks on the final day of Turning Point USA’s annual AmericaFest conference at the Phoenix Convention Center on Dec. 21, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. / Caylo Seals / Getty Images

Policy Priorities and Other Results

When asked to rank priorities, Turning Point attendees put winning the 2026 midterm elections at the top (63.9%). Other notable poll outcomes included:

• An overwhelming 89.5% indicated support for a moratorium on new immigration to the United States.
• "Defunding woke universities" registered minimal interest (1.1%), and ending the war in Ukraine ranked lowest among listed priorities.
• Survey demographics skewed strongly conservative: 88.3% of respondents identified as Republicans and 94.7% as conservatives.

Vance’s Remarks and Tone at the Event

JD Vance — a frequent Turning Point speaker — appeared cautious when addressing accusations of rising racism or antisemitism within the party. He emphasized inclusion for those who "love America" and warned against ideological "purity tests."

"I didn’t bring a list of conservatives to denounce or to de-platform," Vance said. "We don’t care if you’re white or Black, rich or poor, young or old, rural or urban... We have far more important work to do than canceling each other."

Vance also voiced support for rolling back certain diversity and inclusion initiatives, asserting, "In the United States of America, you don’t have to apologize for being white anymore."

Overall, the straw poll offered a snapshot of priorities and personalities among Turning Point USA attendees, highlighting both intra-party divisions and clear favorites for future Republican contests.