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Gallup Poll: Trump, Obama Tie as 2019's Most Admired Men

Former U.S. President Barack Obama smiles as he attends the "values-based leadership"  in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
(Vincent Thian/AP)

By    |   Monday, 30 December 2019 08:50 AM EST

President Donald Trump and his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, are tied this year as the nation's most admired men, according to a new Gallup Poll.

The results, based on a Dec. 2-15 poll, put Trump at the top spot for the first time and Obama at the top for the 12th time. Meanwhile, Michelle Obama was selected as the most admired woman for the second year running. 

The choice was sharply divided along party lines, with 41% of Democrats naming Obama and 45% of Republicans picking Trump. Independents' choices were divided almost evenly between the two. Overall, Trump and Obama netted 18% each of Americans' choices.  Generally, the incumbent president tops the most admired poll, but for the past two years, Trump did not net the top rating after his job approval ratings had dipped, notes Gallup. 

No other men were mentioned as most admired by more than 2% of respondents, who were given the opportunity to name any figure worldwide among their most admired. The others rounding out the top 10 for men were:

  • Former President Jimmy Carter.
  • Tesla founder Elon Musk.
  • Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
  • Pope Francis.
  • Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
  • Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.
  • The Dalai Lama.
  • Investor Warren Buffett.

Aside from Obama and Trump, most Americans, at 11%, named a relative or friend as the man they admired most; 18% named some other living man; and 25% did not name anyone. 

Meanwhile, Michelle Obama was the only woman rating in double digits in the poll, but the 10% naming her as their most admired is down from 15% last year. 

Current first lady Melania Trump finished second at 5%, with Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, and climate change activist Greta Thunberg named by 3%. The remainder of the top 10 women were: 

  • Queen Elizabeth II.
  • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
  • Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
  • Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
  • German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
  • Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.

Sandy Fitzgerald

Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics. 

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President Donald Trump and his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, are tied this year as the nation's most admired men, according to a new Gallup Poll.
gallup poll
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2019-50-30
Monday, 30 December 2019 08:50 AM
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