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Keller: In new poll, most popular newsmakers all have one trait in common

By
Jon Keller
Jon Keller
Jon Keller is the political analyst for WBZ-TV News. His "Keller @ Large" reports on a wide range of topics are regularly featured during WBZ News at 5 and 6 p.m.
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Jon Keller

/ CBS Boston

The opinions expressed below are Jon Keller's, not those of WBZ, CBS News or Paramount Global.  

Judging from what you see online and in the news, you might think there is no such thing as a popular head of state or political figure. But a new national survey shows that's not quite true.

 Poll shows Trump unpopular

"When people get to know me, they get to like me," President Donald Trump once said.

Not according to gauging the popularity of Trump and 13 other prominent US and world figures. President Trump is tied for third-worst rating, 16% more unfavorable than favorable, down 14 points since taking office in January. His numbers are even worse than Joe Biden's.

Top members of Trump's administration fare poorly as well, with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Vice President J.D. Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth all viewed more unfavorably than favorably. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has the lowest favorable rating of all of them, just 31 percent.

The only figures with less favorability are Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with a rock-bottom 29 percent, and former Trump ally Elon Musk, topping the unfavorability sweepstakes at 61 percent.

Pope Leo tops favorability ratings

So who do the American people like?

Pope Leo topped the list with favorable ratings comparable to previous popes, and two secular figures joined him with net positive ratings: Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Senator Bernie Sanders. But their appeal doesn't transcend partisanship the way the Pope does: Among Republicans, Zelenskyy is 23 points more negative than positive, with Sanders a whopping 57 points underwater.

What's the moral of the story?

Zelenskyy, Sanders and the Pope all have something in common - sincerity and authenticity, at least among those who aren't bitterly opposed to what they stand for.

Even Kennedy and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, who both broke just about even in the poll, are seen as people who are honest about what they think, for better or worse.

But when you get into the more garden-variety politicians like Vance, Rubio, Biden and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, there seems to be a trust deficit.

And Trump, Netanyahu and Musk are just straight-up polarizing - maybe not such a great place to be for a political figure.

In:

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