A new poll from CNN finds President Obama’s approval dropping eight points since May. Today, just 45% of Americans approve of his handling of the Presidency. 54% disapprove. Last month, 53% of adults approved of his performance. The dramatic drop is a clear sign that the scandals engulfing the Administration are taking a serious toll, just as his second term begins.
Beyond his general approval rating, Obama has seen a drop in support for his handling of a range of issues. More troubling for Obama, however, is the dramatic drop in the number of voters who view him as “honest and trustworthy.” Half of voters, 50%, say Obama isn’t honest and trustworthy. Just 49% say he is. Last month, 58% of voters felt Obama was honest and only 41% said that he wasn’t.
That is a stunning reversal in an almost existential question about any President. An 18-point negative swing against Obama in just a month shows, more than anything else, how damaging the recent scandals have been to the President’s standing. A majority of Americans now believe the President isn’t honest or trustworthy.
Obama needs to get in front of the scandals and satisfy the public that all relevant information is disclosed and responsible parties are held accountable. Failure to do so soon will turn Obama’s approval drop into a cascade.