Barack Obama Tops New Poll of America’s Most Popular Living Presidents

Former President Barack Obama ranks highest among America’s living presidents in a new CNN poll, with 57% of Americans viewing him favorably, according to results released in June 2026.

The survey places Obama ahead of former President George W. Bush, whose favorability stood at 42%, while opinions of Bill Clinton were roughly evenly divided.

President Donald Trump received a 34% favorable rating in the same survey, while former President Joe Biden registered 30%, according to CNN’s polling data.

Obama’s standing extends beyond Democratic voters. The CNN poll found that his favorable rating among independents was more than twice the corresponding figures recorded for Trump and Biden.

Among Democrats, Obama retains particularly strong support, with the survey finding that roughly two-thirds of Democratic respondents identified him as the president they most admired.

Republicans, by contrast, were substantially more likely to name Trump when asked which president they admired most, illustrating the sharp partisan differences surrounding presidential reputations.

The poll also asked Americans an open-ended question about which president they most admired. Obama was named by 30% of respondents, followed by Trump at 19%.

Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan each received 9%, while John F. Kennedy received 6% and George Washington was named by 5% of respondents.

The findings suggest that Obama continues to maintain a strong public image years after leaving the White House, despite the political divisions that surrounded his presidency.

Obama’s favorability has also remained relatively stable in other polling. A January 2025 Gallup survey found 59% of Americans viewed him favorably, compared with 36% unfavorably.

Gallup’s 2025 survey similarly placed Obama ahead of the other four living former or current presidents at that time, although the precise percentages differed from the later CNN survey.

The differences between the polls highlight an important distinction: favorability and admiration are separate measures, and results can change depending on the wording and timing of a survey.

CNN’s 2026 survey was conducted among 2,480 U.S. adults between May 7 and May 31 through SSRS, using online and telephone interviews.

The poll reported a margin of sampling error of approximately plus or minus 2.7 percentage points for the full sample.

Obama’s relatively strong numbers also come as his presidential legacy receives renewed attention surrounding the opening of his presidential center.

Public evaluations of former presidents can change over time. Gallup noted that George W. Bush, for example, experienced a significant improvement in his public image after leaving office.

Biden’s current standing represents a significant decline from earlier periods, when his favorability reached much higher levels around the beginning of his vice presidency and presidency.

Trump’s ratings have also fluctuated substantially across different stages of his political career, with his public image shifting alongside elections, presidential transitions and major political events.

Obama’s position in the latest survey therefore reflects current public opinion rather than a permanent judgment on the historical legacies of the presidents included.

For now, the CNN poll places Obama at the top of its favorability comparison among living presidents, while also showing substantial partisan differences in how Americans view the country’s recent presidents.