A new Gallup poll asked Americans to express their overall opinions of world leaders and public figures, and the British royal crown is coming out on top.
The survey took place from July 3-27, 2023, and asked 1,015 adults in the United States to respond with “favorable” or “unfavorable” when given the names of public figures. The top-ranking leader, with an approval rating of 59%, is Prince William of England. Not only did he take the top spot, his supporters are nearly evenly split among Democrats and Republicans, with 63% and 65% of the respective groups responding favorably.
Prince William is actually one of three international leaders to break into the top five, with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy coming in a close second with 57% of responses being favorable. King Charles III wasn’t far behind, coming in at number five with 46% of Americans responding favorably.
Three-quarters of Zelenskyy’s supporters are Democrats and 51% are Republicans, which closely mirrors the public sentiment toward the Russia-Ukraine war. Still, it’s notable that even with divided opinions on America’s support of Ukraine, Zelenskyy ranks significantly higher than either President Biden or Donald Trump.
While Jill Biden and Chief Justice John Roberts also made it into the top five—in the third and fourth spots, respectively—the largely positive response to international leaders serves to showcase the fact that Americans have to look beyond their borders to find leaders they can agree upon.
By far the most disliked person on the list, with 90% of respondents opting for “unfavorable,” is Russian President Vladimir Putin. This is notable because it’s actually the worst rating that Gallup has ever recorded for him. It also shows that while Republicans and Democrats may disagree about America’s involvement in the war, general skepticism toward Russian leadership has grown.
As for President Biden, he and Trump are tied with 41% of their responses being favorable. The other figures that ranked as the most polarizing were also those closely associated with the U.S. presidency, including former vice president Mike Pence, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, and Vice President Kamala Harris.
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