Barack Obama’s approval rating slid into dangerous territory this week, with the latest Reuters-Ipsos poll showing just 35 percent of Americans approve of the president’s job performance even as he leads the nation into a war against Islamic fundamentalism in the Middle East.

Fifty-eight percent of Americans expressed disapproval of the White House’s current occupant — 37 percent of them “strongly.” Just 17 percent strongly approved of Obama’s current performance. The poll is based on a five-day rolling average.


The White House has struggled under a series of escalating foreign-policy crises, at times appearing to flail for a response to Islamic State brutality and the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine. The poll likely does not reflect reaction to the administration’s broad air attack on Islamic State targets in Syria, conducted Monday night and slated to continue for the foreseeable future.