Donald Trump and Michelle Obama voted most admired people of 2020 in new poll

Gallup asked Americans to give their opinions.
Gallup asked Americans to give their opinions. Photo credit: Getty

A new poll in the US has revealed the most admired man and woman of 2020.

Outgoing President Donald Trump was named as the most admired man, while former first lady Michelle Obama was the most admired woman, according to the Gallup poll.

Trump's win this year came after he tied for the top position in 2019, sharing the honour with former President Barack Obama.

Gallup has asked Americans to name their most admired man 74 times since 1946, with the incumbent President nabbing the top spot 60 of those times.

Trump's victory ended a 12-year run for Barack Obama, while Michelle has won it for the past three years.

Barack still came in second place though, with 15 percent, with President-elect Joe Biden taking out third place with 6 percent of votes. Anthony Fauci, the US' top infectious disease expert came in fourth, winning 3 percent. 

Non-Americans who made the top 10 included Pope Francis and the Dalai Lama.

Michelle Obama's win in the women's section came after 10 percent of American's voted for her. She came in ahead of Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris (6 percent) and first lady Melania Trump (4 percent). Television personality Oprah Winfrey and German Chancellor Angela Merkel rounded out the top five, with environmental activist Greta Thunberg and Queen Elizabeth II also cracking the top 10.

Queen Elizabeth's entry into the top 10 this year marks the 52nd time she has done so, more so than any other woman in the history of the poll.

Gallup has asked Americans to name their favourite woman 71 times since 1948, with either a current (18) or former (39) first lady winning a total of 57 times.

The poll was conducted between December 1 and 17 and surveyed a random sample of 1018 adults. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.