Trump suffers humiliating defeat to Obama in masculinity poll

President Donald Trump has suffered an embarrassing defeat to former President Barack Obama in a new national poll exploring masculinity.

The Bulwark and Pablo Torre Finds Out released a poll, which found that 59 percent of American adults view Obama as a stronger role model for men, while only 37 percent said the same of Trump.

Trump was right at the bottom of the list when respondents were asked whether he represented a positive example of masculinity. 55 percent said the president was not a strong male role model, leaving him with a negative 18-point net rating.

However, Obama earned a positive 28-point net rating, which is a huge 46-point gap between the rival presidents, which puts the spotlight on how the public feels about Trump’s desire to portray himself as a political strongman.

The results were not split across party lines, as 23 percent who voted for Trump identified Obama as a stronger male role model.

Trump finished last among the politicians, athletes and entertainment figures who were included in the survey.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth performed slightly better than the president, but only 28 percent of respondents considered the Pentagon chief a strong role model for American men, while 39 percent disagreed.

With younger adults between the ages of 18 and 29, Hegseth plummeted, with 34 percent rejecting his image as a strong male role model.

The Bulwark report shows a contradiction between Hegseth’s efforts to project masculinity and toughness and how the public views him.

The Pentagon chief has put an emphasis on his masculinity ideals, such as proposing a testosterone replacement program and physical fitness tests, along with his war on beards.

He has also fat-shamed people whom he considered overweight and frequently participates in physical training with military personnel.

Actor Matthew McConaughey had one of the strongest ratings, posting a positive 33-point net score, followed by Obama at 28 points and NBA legend LeBron James at 25 points.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom didn’t fare well with a negative two-point net rating, with 35 percent identifying him as a strong male role model and 37 percent disagreeing.

YouGov carried out the online poll of 1,417 U.S. adults between 10th and 14th October. The results were weighted to reflect the adult population, and the margin of error reported was 3.6 percentage points.

Trump has frequently attacked Obama, describing him as a "weak leader," but has recently complimented his ability to walk down the stairs of the White House as he deals with the physical decline that usually comes with advanced age.