• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
LeadershipGallup

President Obama Crushes Trump In This Annual Poll

Barb Darrow
By
Barb Darrow
Barb Darrow
Down Arrow Button Icon
Barb Darrow
By
Barb Darrow
Barb Darrow
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 28, 2016, 4:08 PM ET
Photograph by Getty Images

Democrats must take their wins where they can in this otherwise bleak election year, and this is one of those rare victories: Outgoing President Barack Obama was voted this year’s most admired man, according to an annual Gallup Poll.

Obama received 22% of the votes, while his successor, Donald Trump, took 15%. Pope Francis came in third with 4%.

This is Obama’s ninth consecutive win, but his narrowest margin during that winning streak. Last year, he bested Trump by 17% to 5%.

In terms of the most admired woman, Trump nemesis Hillary Clinton took the top spot with 12%, followed by Michelle Obama with 8%. German Chancellor Angela Merkel tied with Oprah Winfrey for third place with 3%.

This is the 15th year in a row that Clinton won the most admired woman title, and the 21st year overall.

The tech world also got some respect. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft(MSFT)and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, showed up in an interesting four-way tie for sixth place for most admired man with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Dalai Lama, and former President Bill Clinton. Elon Musk, chief executive of SpaceX and Tesla (TSLA), and Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive of Facebook (FB) also made the top 25.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

For more about President Obama, watch:

In creating its poll, Gallup talked to 1,028 adults in 50 states and the District of Columbia by phone from Dec. 7 to Dec. 11. They asked adult respondents for their first and second choices for the men and women they admired the most.

About the Author
Barb Darrow
By Barb Darrow
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.