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The straw poll was conducted was among the conservative youth activists attending the four-day gathering in Phoenix, which local reports said drew about 30,000 participants
By Shula Rosen
An informal straw poll conducted during Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference found that attendees ranked radical Islam as the leading threat to the United States, while views on Israel varied, with most respondents describing it as either America’s top ally or one of several important partners.
The survey, described by organizers as an official AmericaFest straw poll and reported by Fox News Digital, was conducted among the conservative youth activists attending the four-day gathering in Phoenix, which local reports said drew about 30,000 participants.
According to the results, 31,008 respondents selected radical Islam as the most serious threat facing the country. Socialism and Marxism followed closely, with 30,387 responses. Other major concerns included mass migration, cited by 28,223 participants, and economic issues related to affordability, chosen by 27,315 respondents.
When asked about Israel, 53.4% of those surveyed said they viewed Israel as one ally among many. Roughly one-third identified Israel as America’s top ally, while 13.3% said they did not consider Israel an ally. The findings came as Israel became a point of contention inside the conference itself, where speakers and activists clashed over foreign policy and accusations of antisemitism within segments of the broader MAGA movement.
The poll also shed light on broader political priorities among the attendees. Nearly two-thirds of respondents, 63.9%, said the conservative movement should focus primarily on winning the 2026 midterm elections. Far fewer selected voter integrity measures, at 9.3%, or affordability issues, at 8.1%, as the top priority.
Immigration emerged as another dominant issue. According to the survey, 89.5% of respondents said they supported a moratorium on new immigration to the United States.
The straw poll also included a question about the next Republican presidential nominee. Vice President JD Vance dominated that field, receiving 84.2% support. Sen. Marco Rubio finished a distant second with 4.8%, followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 2.9%.
Vance closed out the conference on Sunday, as Turning Point USA continued to commemorate its founder, Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated earlier this year. The memorial tone of the event unfolded alongside visible internal disputes that, at times, threatened to overshadow the conference’s programming and messaging.
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