Former President Barack Obama is America’s “most admired man” for the 10th consecutive year, according to new survey data from Gallup, and perhaps even more surprising, Hillary Clinton was named the most admired woman for the 16th year in a row.
As Gallup notes, the pair retain their titles this year, although by much narrower margins than in the past. Obama edges out Donald Trump, 17% to 14%, while Clinton edges out Michelle Obama, 9% to 7%.
Source: Gallup
Trump is one of few incumbent presidents who have not been named the most admired among all Americans.
Gallup has asked the most admired man question 71 times since 1946 -- all but in 1976. The incumbent president has won 58 of those times.
Previous incumbent presidents who did not finish first include Harry Truman in 1946-1947 and 1950-1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1967-1968, Richard Nixon in 1973, Gerald Ford in 1974-1975, Jimmy Carter in 1980, and George W. Bush in 2008. All but Truman in 1947 and Ford in 1974 had job approval ratings well below 50%, like Trump.
As would be expected for a Republican president, Trump wins handily among Republicans -- 35% name him as the man they admire most, with only 1% naming Obama. In contrast, Obama leads among Democrats, with 39% mentioning him and 3% Trump. Independents are slightly more likely to name Obama (12%) than Trump (9%).
The former secretary of State and presidential candidate has been named most admired more than any other man or woman in polling history, according to Gallup, who notes in a release that her polling numbers this year (at just 9%) were the lowest in the past 15 years, making it unlikely for her to hold the top title for much longer.
“She managed to win this year because she remains arguably more prominent than other contenders,” Gallup said.
“However, retaining that stature may be more challenging in coming years with her political career likely over.”
Perhaps more reflective of the state of society, a quarter of respondents could not name a man or woman they admired most, according to Gallup, and about a tenth named a relative or friend.