According to new polling from Pew Research, the majority of Americans disapprove of President Obama's handling of Islamic terrorism.
Approval of the way Barack Obama is handling the threat of terrorism also has declined, even as his overall job rating (currently 46%) – and his ratings on immigration, the economy and other issues – is little changed. Just 37% approve of the way Obama is handling terrorism while 57% disapprove, the lowest rating of his presidency for this issue.
Terrorism has reshaped the public’s agenda, both at home and abroad. Currently, 29% cite terrorism (18%), national security (8%) or ISIS (7%) as the most important problem facing the country today. One year ago, just 4% of the public cited any of these issues. And while ISIS already ranked high among leading international dangers, 83% now regard ISIS as a major threat to the well-being of the U.S., up from 67% in August 2014.
These numbers come after repeated attempts, including a rare Oval Office address, by President Obama to convince the American public he's doing what it takes to keep them safe.
Meanwhile, the FBI is currently pursuing 1000 ISIS probes inside the United States.