Trump is America’s Most Admired Man for First Time, Ties With Obama in Annual Gallup Poll
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President Donald Trump tied with former President Barack Obama as the most admired man in America this year, according to a Gallup poll published on Monday.
Eighteen percent of U.S. adults polled chose President Trump, while 18 percent chose former President Obama.
Unsurprisingly, Trump was most popular among Republicans, while Obama was most popular among Democrats, with independents split between the two.
It’s the 12th time that Obama has been listed as the most admired man of the year, however it’s the first time President Trump has earned the title.
“After Obama and Trump, no other man was mentioned by more than 2% of respondents. The remainder of the top 10 for men this year includes former President Jimmy Carter, businessman Elon Musk, philanthropist and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Pope Francis, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, California Rep. Adam Schiff, the Dalai Lama, and investor Warren Buffett,” Gallup explained, adding, “Eleven percent of Americans named a relative or friend as the man they admire most; 18% named some other living man; and 25% did not name anyone.”
“The incumbent president has typically been Americans’ choice as the most admired man, having earned the distinction in 58 of the 72 prior Gallup polls. When the incumbent president is not the choice, it is usually because he is unpopular politically, which was the case for Trump in 2017 (36% approval rating) and 2018 (40%),” Gallup elaborated. “Trump is more popular now than he was in the past two years, with a 45% job approval rating, among his best as president.”
Former First Lady Michelle Obama took first place as the most admired woman of 2019 at 10 percent (down by 5 percent from last year), followed by First Lady Melania Trump at 5 percent, television host Oprah Winfrey at 3 percent, and climate change awareness activist Greta Thunberg at 3 percent.
