Trump, Obama share title as most admired man in annual Gallup poll

Eighteen percent of people surveyed by the company between Dec. 2 and Dec. 15 named either Obama or Trump as the person they admired the most, living or dead, over the course of the year. The votes appeared to fall mostly along party lines.

"Trump's popularity grew enough this year to allow him to tie Barack Obama as the most admired man, but not to end Obama's streak of 12 first-place finishes," Gallup officials said in a news release. "The results reflect the significant party divide in the U.S., with Republicans overwhelmingly naming Trump and Democrats Obama, and few other men garnering significant mention."

Obama's win makes him tied with former President Dwight Eisenhower as the most frequently admired man in Gallup's poll.

Company officials said incumbent presidents are typically seen as the most admired men in America, a result that's held true in 58 of the last 72 Gallup polls.

"When the incumbent president is not the choice, it is usually because he is unpopular politically, which was the case for Trump in 2017 (36% approval rating) and 2018 (40%)," company officials said in a news release. A Gallup poll conducted earlier this month found Trump had an approval rating around 45%.

No other men were admired by more than 2% of respondents, according to Gallup. However, company officials said this year's list of the top 10 most admired men in America included: former President Jimmy Carter, entrepreneur Elon Musk, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Pope Francis, Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the Dalai Lama and business magnate Warren Buffett.

Gallup has asked Americans to name the man and woman living anywhere in the world whom they most admire every year since 1948. Interviews are held over the phone with a random sample of Americans above the age of 18.

Barack Obama’s wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, was named the most admired woman of 2019, according to Gallup.