New poll: Leaders Americans love — and hate
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Republicans and Democrats alike are bigger fans of Prince William and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky than many of their own political leaders, a new Gallup poll shows.
Why it matters: Hyper-partisan politics have sullied the reputations of U.S. political leaders, from President Biden to Speaker McCarthy (R-Calif.) to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
- First Lady Jill Biden and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts were the only two Americans on the survey to score positive ratings.
By the numbers: After nearly 250 years of independence, Americans seem to pine for England.
- Both Prince William and King Charles III of the U.K. enjoy relatively high — and bipartisan — favorability with Americans.
- You rarely see this kind of agreement in U.S. polls: Prince William is beloved by 65% of Republicans, 63% of Democrats. King Charles? 50% of Republicans, 49% of Democrats.
Ukraine's Zelensky is favored by half of Republicans — but is even more popular with Democrats (75%).
- The gap reflects growing resistance from Republicans to aid to Ukraine.
The most disliked public figure on the list is Russian President Vladimir Putin, with 90% of respondents viewing him unfavorably — the worst rating Gallup has ever recorded for him.
Zoom in: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is in a familiar position for new congressional leaders; He's the most unknown of the 15 public figures in the poll, with 37% of respondents saying they have never heard of him or have no opinion.
- McCarthy trails former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis among Republicans — 67% view the speaker favorably, compared to 76% for DeSantis and 83% for Trump.
- McCarthy is seen favorably by nearly 1 in 5 Democrats.
