The latest annual
Forbes list of "World's Most Powerful People" ranks President Barack Obama in third place – making it the first time a sitting U.S. president hasn't made either the No. 1 or No. 2 spot.
For the third straight year, Russian president Vladimir Putin led the list; this year, German chancellor Angela Merkel came in second.
In an interview on
CBS "This Morning," editor Luisa Kroll speculated Obama's fall to third "has a lot to do with the fact that this is going to be his last year in office."
"That's the first time since we've been doing the list that any U.S. president falls out of the top two spots," Kroll said. "He's a little bit more hamstrung, both domestically and internationally, and it's just a nod to his decreasing power at this time."
Responding to co-host Norah O'Donnell's question about how "power" is defined in the poll, Kroll said:
"It's money, it's the use of power, it's the spheres of influence, and it's the number of people," Kroll said. "Obviously, it's also a subjective list … It's not that we're saying the U.S. isn't powerful. It is definitely still the most powerful country."
Putin has wound up at the top because it "has to do with how he exercises his power and his influence," Kroll said. "Whether it's in Crimea or in the Ukraine, he's not afraid to go out and exercise his power. He has no checks and balances."
"That's one of the factors," she added. "How actively you use your power. Obviously, Barack Obama has more checks and balances because of the way the U.S. has been set up in a much more democratic fashion."
Forbes writes "there's no doubt" the United States "remains the world's greatest economic, cultural, diplomatic, technological and military power."
"But as Obama enters the final year of his presidency, it's clear his influence is shrinking, and it's a bigger struggle than ever to get things done. At home, his approval ratings are perpetually stuck under 50 percent; abroad, he's outshined by Angela Merkel in Europe, and outmaneuvered by Putin in the Middle East."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.