Trump surpasses DeSantis in post-indictment Western Conservative Summit straw ballot
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Trump surpasses DeSantis in post-indictment Western Conservative Summit straw ballot

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DENVER — The federal indictment on Friday towards Donald Trump did not diminish his reputation this weekend on the 14th Annual Western Conservative Summit.

The former president captured the weekend straw ballot of presidential candidates with 40.3% assist, in comparison with 35.8% for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the winner of the conservative confab’s 2021 and 2022 straw polls.

Taking third with 7.7% was radio host Larry Elder, who spoke on the occasion, adopted by Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina with 5.8%, based on outcomes launched Sunday by the Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University, which hosted the summit.

“It’s a two-horse race for the Republican nomination for president,” mentioned Jeff Hunt, director of the Centennial Institute in Lakewood. “The results are clear — Western grassroots conservatives want a fighter who will take on the radical Left and the institutions that are destroying America’s founding principles.”

Mr. Trump received the straw ballot, however Mr. DeSantis edged him by 66.9% to 63.4% on the approval-vote query, which permits members to test the names of all of the candidates of whom they approve for a selected workplace.

“Approval voting minimizes the dilemma of choosing between the candidate you really like and the candidate you think is most electable,” approval-voting advocate Frank Atwood mentioned in an announcement.

SEE ALSO: Southern Poverty Law Center tars parental rights advocates as ‘hate groups’

Mr. Elder acquired 44.9% approval, adopted by Mr. Scott at 35.3% and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at 24.2%.

President Biden acquired lower than 1% approval, which was no shock on the conservative gathering. But Democratic presidential major candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did unexpectedly effectively, with 14.4% approval.

Asked to determine their high coverage considerations, members led with election integrity and non secular freedom, which each acquired 73%, adopted by training/parental rights at 72%, immigration/border safety at 71% and gun rights at 71%.

This yr’s summit drew 1,500 attendees to the Colorado Convention Center for a two-day fest of speeches and workshops that includes Republican lawmakers, conservative activists and non secular leaders.

They included biblical scholar Yoram Hazony, former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, NCAA All-American swimmer Riley Gaines, creator and radio host Eric Metaxas, radio host Erick Erickson, Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon, PragerU character CJ Pearson, and Cheryl Chumley, on-line opinion editor for The Washington Times.

SEE ALSO: Trump indictment alleges careless retention and displaying off of gov’t secrets and techniques, plot to hide docs

Tina Descovich, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, famous that her group was added final week to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “hate map,” together with different parental-rights teams like Parents Defending Education.

Why? “Moms for Liberty and the parents’ rights movement as a whole are upsetting the balance of power in education across America, but also we’re upsetting the balance of power in America,” Ms. Descovich mentioned. “It’s wild to consider, I do know, it’s a daring assertion to say, however we’re watching it occur day-after-day.

Republican audio system included Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley; Colorado Reps. Lauren Boebert, Ken Buck and Doug Lamborn; Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman; and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a GOP candidate for president.

Ms. Boebert supplied a spirited protection of Mr. Trump, who faces 31 counts of violating the Espionage Act for “willful retention” of categorized paperwork in addition to conspiring to hinder justice with aide Walt Nauta.

“Biden has classified documents, Hillary Clinton has classified documents, good old Mike Pence has classified documents,” Ms. Boebert advised the group. “But when they find President Trump has classified documents, who was a president, had the authority to declassify, they say, ‘Espionage Act! Indict him!’”

Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted of two lethal shootings throughout 2020 rioting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, turned up on the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners sales space.

The summit, whose theme was “Western Strong,” additionally featured representatives from a bunch of Western states, together with California, Nevada, Montana, Texas and Wyoming.

“New to the summit this year are state-based delegations,” mentioned Mr. Hunt. “We have recognized that the Western Conservative Summit has been for many years just kind of a Colorado conservative summit, and we need to address the Western issues that we’re facing.”

Content Source: www.washingtontimes.com