Americans like to measure the popularity of their presidents at every point in time. They tend to expect that no citizen should be more popular than the Number One citizen. Now there is a crux in the matter. President Donald Trump is the sitting Chief Executive and by convention, he should be the most popular American citizen. But the opinion polls show that he is not as admired as ex-President Barack Obama.
Mr. Trump trailed former President Barack Obama as the most admired man in the US for 2017, according to a Gallup poll released last week, marking one of the very few times in recent history that an incumbent president did not take the top spot.
Since 1946, Gallup Poll has always been looking for the most admired American and the sitting president has won 58 of those times, according to its pollsters. “Trump’s unpopularity is holding him back from winning the most admired distinction,” Gallup’s Jeffrey Jones said. “The incumbent president is the usual winner since he is arguably the most prominent figure in the country — but when the president is unpopular, other well-known and well-liked men have been able to finish first.” “Former presidents commonly make the top 10 list but rarely win, with Obama only the second to do so, along with Eisenhower in 1967 and 1968,” he declared.
According to Gallup Poll, seventeen percent of Americans surveyed named Barack Obama as the man they admire most, while 14 percent named Trump.
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton was named America’s most admired woman, with 9 percent of the vote, while former first lady Michelle Obama came in second with 7 percent.
“Hillary Clinton has been named most admired more than any woman — or man — in Gallup’s polling history,” Mr. Jones said. “But the likelihood that she will continue to hold that honor in future years seems less certain, with her popularity on the decline and the percentage naming her as most admired the lowest in 15 years.”
