Most Americans credit Trump for Baghdadi death, but raid doesn’t shake negative ratings of president’s leadership, Post-ABC poll finds

Washington Post logoA majority of Americans say President Trump deserves credit for the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, although this past weekend’s successful raid has failed to improve ratings for Trump’s strength as a leader, a Washington Post-ABC News poll finds.

The public also offers mixed reactions to Trump’s withdrawal of American troops from the border between Syria and Turkey, with over 4 in 10 saying the move will weaken U.S. efforts against the Islamic State while others predict little negative impact.

The Post-ABC poll conducted Sunday through Wednesday finds a 54 percent majority of Americans saying Trump should get a great deal or “some” credit for Baghdadi’s death after ordering a nighttime military raid of a compound in northwest Syria on Saturday. Trump said Baghdadi fled into a dead-end tunnel where he detonated a suicide vest that killed him. No U.S. troops died or were injured in the raid.

View the complete October 31 article by Scott Clement and Emily Guskin on The Washington Post website here.