A consolation prize for the one-term president: Donald Trump is now more-admired than predecessor Barack Obama, who has held the title in Gallup's annual poll for 12 years. 18 percent named Trump as most admired man; Barack Obama places second at 15 percent. It's a trivial but illustrative example of what happens when one side coalesces around a single figure (Republicans voted for Trump almost exclusively), while the other side is itself divided among many choices: Obama was dragged down by competition from Joe Biden, Pope Francis and Dr. Anthony Fauci. Michelle Obama was named most admired woman for the third year running.
Gallup predicts Trump could continue to take the top spot if Democrats keep splitting their vote and Harris could overcome Michelle with her new national profile.
See also: Trump already 2024 front-runner
