Obamas are ‘most admired’ man and woman in world: poll

Former President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama now hold the top spots for most admired man and woman in the world in the British data firm YouGov’s annual poll released Tuesday. 

Barack Obama ousted Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates from the most admired title for the first time since YouGov started conducting the survey in 2014. Gates now holds second place for most admired man, followed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in third. 

Michelle Obama is ranked number one for women for the second year in a row. Angelina Jolie, who previously held the top spot, was ranked second in Tuesday’s survey, followed by Queen Elizabeth II. 

According to YouGov, the 2020 study was the largest conducted thus far, with more than 45,000 people in 42 countries and territories surveyed.

The group said that it determines rankings based on respondents’ answers to two questions: whether the respondent admires the figure and if the respondent admires the specific figure most of all. 

YouGov reported that Barack Obama’s rise to first place in the survey was accompanied by President Trump’s fall to 15th place. This comes as the former president and first lady have both criticized Trump for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, as well as his overall policy record. 

In his address last month at the Democratic National Convention, Barack Obama gave a rare direct rebuke against Trump, labeling the current administration as a threat to American democracy. 

“I am also asking you to believe in your own ability — to embrace your own responsibility as citizens — to make sure that the basic tenets of our democracy endure,” he said in the speech. “Because that’s what’s at stake right now. Our democracy.” 

“This administration has shown it will tear our democracy down if that’s what it takes to win,” the former president added. 

Days earlier, Michelle Obama issued direct attacks against President Trump’s character and record in her convention speech, saying that Trump “simply cannot be who we need him to be for us.” 

“Let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can: Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country,” Michelle Obama said at the time. “He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment … It is what it is.”

The Obamas have also since lent additional support to the campaign of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.).

Polls show Biden leading the race nationally. He also leads in polling averages in most of the key swing states, though Trump this week was ahead in Arizona and Florida in polling by ABC and The Washington Post.