According to a new Gallup poll, Americans couldn't single out just one man as the country's most admired, with both the current and former presidents tying for the title. While 2019 marks the first time for Trump to appear on top, Obama has taken the top spot 12 times.
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Poll Shows Trump And Obama In Dead Heat For America's Most Admired Man
To no great surprise, the poll broke down along party lines.
About 45% of Republicans chose Trump, while 41% of Democrats picked Obama, with independents equally divided. Each took 18% of the overall vote.
No other man scored in the double-digits.
Facebook | President Jimmy Carter
In fact, no other man received more than 2% of votes, but one other former president did make the top ten: Jimmy Carter.
Rounding out the top ten were Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Pope Francis, Bernie Sanders, Adam Schiff, the Dalai Lama, and Warren Buffett.
Gallup attributed Trump's rise to an increase in votes from Republicans.
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Trump had placed second to Obama in 2017 and 2018, with the president receiving votes from only 32% of Republicans in 2017 and 35% in 2018.
Meanwhile, Obama's 12th time being named the nation's most admired man ties former president Dwight Eisenhower's record.
Facebook | The Obama White House, Pete Souza
Eisenhower is also the only other former president to receive double-digit support after leaving office. Obama's share of the votes has remained steady since he left office, as he received 19% in 2018 and 17% in 2017.
For the second year in a row, Michelle Obama was named America's most admired woman.
Facebook | Michelle Obama
She claimed 10% of the vote, while current First Lady Melania Trump came in second with 5% of the vote.
Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, Greta Thunberg, Queen Elizabeth II, Nancy Pelosi, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elizabeth Warren, Angela Merkel, and Nikki Haley rounded out the top ten among women.
Historically speaking, presidents, and especially sitting presidents, have been selected as most admired in Gallup's annual poll.
The last man picked as America's most admired who never sat in the Oval Office was Pope John Paul II, back in 1980.
The only other non-presidents ever chosen, dating back to the first poll in 1948, were Henry Kissinger and Douglas MacArthur.
The most admired women's list has been a bit more diverse than the men's.
And with more global appeal as well. Mother Teresa took the title four times, most recently in 1996, Britain's Margaret Thatcher was named most admired woman six times, and Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir three.
Hillary Clinton holds the record for most titles for either a man or a woman at 22.
h/t: Gallup
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