A Stark Partisan Divide

Consistent with modern political metrics, the survey revealed a deep partisan split in how Americans view historical leadership:

• Democrats overwhelmingly selected Obama as their most admired president (64%), followed distantly by figures like John F. Kennedy (6%), Abraham Lincoln (5%), and Franklin D. Roosevelt (5%).

• Republicans largely named Donald Trump as their top choice (53%), with Ronald Reagan (18%) and Abraham Lincoln (8%) following behind.

Despite the heavily divided political climate, Obama’s broad and enthusiastic appeal among Democrats—paired with strong support from a crucial slice of independent voters—pushed him into the definitive number one spot overall.

Leading the Living Presidents

In addition to dominating the historical rankings, the poll also measured the current favorability of all living presidents.

Obama holds a commanding lead in this category as well, with 57% of Americans viewing him positively. His favorability rating far outpaces his Oval Office successors, with Donald Trump sitting at 34% and Joe Biden trailing at 30%. The poll noted that Obama’s standing among political independents is more than twice as high as either Biden’s or Trump’s.

While Obama experienced natural fluctuations in his approval ratings during his two terms in office, his post-presidential favorability has solidified. As he continues to expand his legacy with the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, this latest polling data serves as a powerful testament to his lasting resonance with the American public.