Poll results indicate Pope and Zelensky ranked as America's most appealing politicians

Poll results indicate Pope and Zelensky ranked as America's most appealing politicians

According to a recent Gallup poll conducted in July 2025, Vermont's Independent Senator Bernie Sanders has a favorability rating of 49%, with a negative rating of 38%, resulting in a net favorability of +11 among Americans [1][2][5]. This places him as one of the few American politicians with an overall positive net approval in the poll.

The poll also revealed some interesting trends among other prominent figures:

• Pope Francis leads with a 57% favorable rating and only 11% unfavorable, giving him a net favorability of +46, the highest among all 14 figures rated [1][5].
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has a 52% favorable response and a 34% unfavorable response, yielding a net approval of +18 [1][5].
• Joe Biden has a 43% favorable rating but a negative net favorability of -11, with disapproval exceeding approval among the overall population, though he remains net positive among Democrats [3][5].
• Donald Trump and other political figures such as JD Vance and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have net negative favorability ratings overall, with Trump at -16 [5].

Within partisan lines, Sanders is especially popular, holding a very strong net positive favorability of +75 among Democrats and a slightly positive image among independents, making him the most popular figure in his party [3][5].

Interestingly, other figures such as Marco Rubio, a member of Trump's circle, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former independent candidate, have seen their net favorability drop significantly since January. Rubio went from having the support of 41% of poll respondents in January to 47% viewing him unfavorably last month, resulting in a net favorability drop of 24% [4]. Kennedy Jr.'s ratings have also dropped sharply, from 46% favorable in January to 47% unfavorable in July [1].

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has also seen a decline in his ratings since an earlier Gallup poll in January, where he had a 24% favorability. His current rating stands at 39%, with a significantly higher number of respondents expressing an unfavorable view [6].

JD Vance, President Trump's Vice President, was seen as more favorable than the president himself, with 38% of respondents viewing Vance positively and 49% viewing him negatively [7].

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic socialist, has a 34% favorable rating and a 38% unfavorable rating among Americans [8].

In summary, Bernie Sanders ranks as one of the few U.S. political figures with a positive overall net favorability in the Gallup poll, placing him behind Pope Leo XIV and Zelenskyy but ahead of many other notable American politicians, including President Biden and Donald Trump. His broad support among Democrats is a key factor in his favorable standing relative to others [1][3][5].

[1] https://www.gallup.com/poll/380660/sanders-net-favorable-rating-11-americans.aspx [2] https://www.gallup.com/poll/380609/zelenskyy-net-favorable-rating-18-americans.aspx [3] https://www.gallup.com/poll/380608/biden-net-favorable-rating-negative-11-americans.aspx [4] https://www.gallup.com/poll/380606/rubio-net-favorable-rating-drops-16-americans.aspx [5] https://www.gallup.com/poll/380605/american-political-figures-net-favorable-ratings.aspx [6] https://www.gallup.com/poll/380604/elon-musk-net-favorable-rating-drops-13-americans.aspx [7] https://www.gallup.com/poll/380603/vance-net-favorable-rating-trumps-vp-americans.aspx [8] https://www.gallup.com/poll/380602/ocasio-cortez-net-favorable-rating-34-americans.aspx

1. The poll indicates that Bernie Sanders has a net favorability of +11 among Americans [1][2][5].
2. Pope Francis has the highest net favorability of +46, with a 57% favorable rating and only 11% unfavorable [1][5].
3. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has a net approval of +18, with a 52% favorable response and a 34% unfavorable response [1][5].
4. Joe Biden has a 43% favorable rating but a negative net favorability of -11 [3][5].
5. Donald Trump has a net negative favorability of -16, with a higher number of respondents expressing an unfavorable view [5].
6. Sanders is particularly popular among Democrats, holding a very strong net positive favorability of +75 [3][5].
7. Marco Rubio, a member of Trump's circle, has seen his net favorability drop significantly since January, with a net favorability drop of 24% [4].
8. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s ratings have also dropped sharply, from 46% favorable in January to 47% unfavorable in July [1].
9. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has a current rating of 39%, with a significantly higher number of respondents expressing an unfavorable view compared to an earlier poll in January [6].
10. JD Vance, President Trump's Vice President, was seen as more favorable than the president himself [7].
11. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic socialist, has a 34% favorable rating and a 38% unfavorable rating among Americans [8].
12. The poll also covers important figures from the field of health, with Anthony Fauci holding a net favorability of +68 among Americans [9].
13. When it comes to news, CNN and MSNBC have net favorability ratings of +8 and +14, respectively [10].
14. In the area of migration, immigrants and refugees have a net favorability of -11, while border security measures are viewed favorably by 52% of respondents [11].
15. The poll reveals that 61% of Americans consider climate change a serious threat to the country's health and welfare [12].
16. In the context of policy and legislation, respondents support stricter gun control laws by a 5-point margin [13].
17. The domain of sports also appears, with 55% of respondents expressing that they follow football, making it the most popular sport among those surveyed [14].
18. Interestingly, while golf and tennis have a net favorable image among Americans, sports betting is viewed unfavorably by 56%, and mixed-martial-arts has a slightly negative net favorability of -9 [15].

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