December 28, 2015•Update: January 05, 2016
WASHINGTON
More Americans think that terrorists are winning the war against the United States than at any point since al Qaeda claimed attacks on New York and the Pentagon over a decade ago.
A CNN/ORC poll found that 40 percent of Americans believe terrorists are winning - 17 points more than the previous high in August 2005.
Only 18 percent thought the U.S. and its allies were winning ongoing hostilities.
The Obama administration is in the midst of a public campaign to reassure Americans that they are safe from attacks following a shooting outside of Los Angeles earlier this month and a devastating series of attacks in the French capital claimed by Daesh in November.
The poll was conducted from Dec. 17 to 21 - just weeks after a radicalized husband and wife opened fire in San Bernardino murdering 14 people before being killed during a shootout with police.
Americans continue to be weary of President Barack Obama’s handling of the conflict against terrorist groups, with only 38 percent voicing approval. A full 60 percent disapprove.
But some remain hopeful that Washington can protect it from a future attack.
Over 50 percent agreed with the statement “the U.S. government can eventually prevent all major attacks if it works hard enough”.
Still, 45 percent believe “the terrorists will always find a way to launch major attacks no matter what the U.S. government does”.
As a host of Republicans and a handful of Democrats continue to wrangle for their respective party’s presidential nomination, they will have to contend with an American public that is increasingly dissatisfied with the Obama administration’s plan to degrade and defeat Daesh.
Several Republican candidates have said that they will send mass combat troops to Syria to dislodge Daesh from its safe haven in Raqqa – a step that Obama has steadfastly opposed.
The American public appears split on that policy with 49 percent favoring and 49 opposing the idea, according to the poll.
Still, the data was collected before Iraqi forces were reportedly able to reclaim the key city of Ramadi from Daesh over the weekend - a move likely to be touted by Obama as a key development in the effort to rely upon local, not U.S., forces to beat back the militants.
