On Trump’s signature trait — leadership — he now trails Obama by 24 points in polling

Former president Barack Obama, left, and President Trump. (Nicholas Kamm and Atef Safadi/AFP/Getty Images)

This week has featured polls that were terrible for the GOP's health-care effort and also pretty bad for President Trump.

But when it comes to the commander in chief, I find one number particularly striking.

It comes courtesy of the NPR/PBS/Marist College poll, which asked people whether they thought President Trump or President Barack Obama was a stronger leader. Americans chose the former president over the current one by a remarkable 58 to 34 margin.

Why is this so remarkable? Because it's a complete role reversal. Strong leadership was the core of Trump's appeal, and it was a distinct weakness for Obama toward the end of his presidency. It was also the thing Trump attacked Obama for repeatedly on the campaign trail, and it was the thing one poll showed voters said was most important on Election Day, when they unexpectedly installed Trump as president.

Just a couple years ago, it was Obama who was seen as something of a well-meaning but largely ineffective leader. Polls showed people liked him personally and felt his heart was in the right place, but years of inaction in Washington cemented the image of a pretty feckless 44th president.

A Gallup poll in 2015 showed majorities of Americans didn't think Obama was a strong and decisive leader (52 percent), that he could manage government efficiently (55 percent) or — most damningly — that he had a clear plan for solving the country's problems (61 percent).

A 2014 Pew poll showed much the same thing: People thought leadership and getting things done were among Obama's weakest qualities.

Trump was very much on the opposite end of the spectrum. He was the guy people didn't necessarily like but thought could actually get things done. As a very wealthy and successful businessman, Trump repeatedly made the case that he was the answer for an American government in search of actual leadership.

As recently as President Trump's 100th day, that perception of him as a strong leader hung around. A Washington Post-ABC News poll showed 53 percent thought he was a strong leader. It was by far his best of five attributes that were tested. Even 17 percent of Hillary Clinton's voters thought he was a strong leader.

But faith in Trump's leadership ability is on a very clear trajectory — downward. Quinnipiac University polling showed 56 percent of Americans thought Trump was a strong leader after he was elected, but that number had dropped to 39 percent earlier this month. Trump has seen views of his honesty, empathy, intelligence and temperament all decline, but none by more than his leadership skills.

The new NPR poll is very much in that vein. It shows even 14 percent of Republicans and 28 percent of tea party supporters say Obama was a stronger leader than is Trump. Even 12 percent of people who approve of Trump say Obama was a stronger leader. Independents favor Obama 65 percent to 29 percent.

That's a far cry from where we were in November — and a far cry from where we were for much of the last four years.