Survey reveals traits Americans want most in a president

Leadership skills, the ability to make decisions and honesty top a long list of traits that Americans want most for U.S. presidents, according to a new survey.

In a wide-ranging poll released this week by YouGov, U.S. adults were asked to rate a sample of 40 different qualities for a potential commander in chief.

Topping the list, 88 percent said leadership skills and decisionmaking abilities are “very important,” followed by honesty (86 percent) and mental health (85 percent).

Integrity, intelligence, respect for rule of law and commitment to democracy were also among top qualities in the poll.

Meanwhile, respondents listed race, gender, wealth, marital status, geographic upbringing and whether a person is a parent among the least important traits.

The survey comes as former President Trump and Vice President Harris exchange jabs while locked in a tight race about three months from the November election. A polling index by Decision Desk HQ and The Hill shows Trump with a 1.2 percentage point lead over Harris as of Thursday, while the likely Democratic candidate has cut into Trump’s lead in multiple swing states.

Harris and her campaign have repeatedly hit Trump over his leadership and decisionmaking skills, painting him as a hostile and chaotic figure who will sow division if reelected. Harris has also leaned into her experience as a former prosecutor to go after Trump’s conviction in a New York hush money case earlier this year, and she has questioned the former president’s honesty and respect for the rule of law, accusing him of threatening the nation’s democracy.

Trump, meanwhile, has gone after Harris’s biracial identity in recent days, after several Republicans accused her of being a “DEI hire” who they claim was picked by President Biden as his running mate in 2020 solely because of her race. Republicans have also criticized Harris for what they view as a lack of leadership amid the border crisis after she was tapped by the Biden administration to address the root causes of migration from Central America.

Harris entered the White House race less than two weeks ago following President Biden’s exit amid questions in the party over his mental acuity and physical health. Harris, the Democrats’ likely nominee, has moved quickly to consolidate support and raise large sums of money to mount a competitive general election campaign on an accelerated timeline.

The YouGov poll was conducted among 2,266 U.S. adults on two separate surveys from July 25-27 and July 26-29. The margin of error for the sample is about 3 percentage points.