Obama and Trump tied for most admired man in poll — and its split along party lines
Unsurprisingly, in a new Gallup poll, the 44th president remains popular among Democrats while the 45th president is enjoying unwavering support among Republicans
In perhaps another sign that the country is more polarized than ever, a newly released Gallup poll shows that former president Barack Obama and current president Donald Trump are nearly tied as the most admired man.
The poll conducted between Dec. 2 and Dec. 15 shows that the numbers are divided along party lines. Forty-one percent of Democrats prefer Obama as most admired man, while 45 percent of Republicans choose Trump, according to Gallup. Few Democrats chose Trump and few Republicans chose Obama, while independents were divided equally between the two.
The race appeared to be between these two men — the 44th president of the United States and the 45th president — because none of the other candidates in the poll scored higher than 2 percent, according to Gallup. That parade of lower scorers includes former President Jimmy Carter, businessman Elon Musk, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and the Dalai Lama.
While some might view the results as positive for Trump, Gallup points out that the sitting president — Trump, in this case — typically wins hands down as the country’s choice for most admired man. In this case, Trump must share the title with his nemesis, President Obama.
On the other hand, Gallup points out, President Trump is more popular today than he has been in the last two years, with a job approval rating of 45 percent, Gallup reports.
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The poll marks Obama’s 12th time in this spot versus Trump’s 12th time. It also marks two Gallup milestones for the Obama household. Barack Obama has finished first in his ranking in the three years since he’s left the White House. Former First Lady Michelle Obama was ranked in the poll as the most admired woman for the second year in a row.
Every year since 1949, the Gallup organization has polled Americans to offer the man or woman in the world they most admire.
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