Trump’s Popularity Takes a Hit: Gallup Poll Ranks Him Behind Global and U.S. Leaders
In a surprising turn of events that has sparked new political debates, former President Donald Trump has ranked near the bottom of a new study that ranks the popularity of world and American leaders. The Gallup study, which asked people all over the United States about how they see Trump right now, paints a very clear picture. Even though he’s still in the news for political reasons, he doesn’t seem to be as popular as most of his peers, both supporters and opponents.
The study found that Trump’s net favorability was -16 points, meaning that only 41% of Americans find him positive and 57% find him negative. What’s even more attention-grabbing is that Trump is outranked by 10 of the 14 public figures included in the survey. The most favorably viewed figure wasn’t even a politician—it was Pope Leo XIV, who topped the chart, signaling a national preference for moral or spiritual authority over political aggression.
Even controversial leaders outperformed Trump, adding to the interest. Despite her controversy, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez scored -4, while Senator Bernie Sanders scored +11. Even Vice President JD Vance, President Biden, and Governor Gavin Newsom all scored higher net ratings than Trump, even if still in the negatives.
It’s not just Trump who is facing a cool reception—some of his former administration officials also scored poorly. For example, Secretary of State Marco Rubio matched Trump’s -16 rating, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now Health and Human Services Secretary, also saw more disapproval than support.
But the sharpest fall from grace came from someone once loosely associated with Trump: Elon Musk, who exited Trump’s circle in June following a public clash. Musk now holds the lowest score on the entire list with a -28 net favorability rating.
The overall trend in the Gallup survey reveals that several key figures linked to Trump have seen their public image decline in sync with his own. Political branding and party allegiance are losing influence to trust and reputation, according to the survey.
Trump’s favorability drops at a vital moment as political campaigns heat up and the public begins to consider who may lead the nation. Will this widening difference between Trump and Sanders affect future politics? That remains the real suspense.
