Two new U.S. public opinion polls show Americans support President Donald Trump’s missile attacks on Syria for its use of chemical weapons, but have little appetite for further military action against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
A CBS News poll showed that by a 57-to-36 percent margin, those surveyed favored Trump’s assault last week, when the U.S. launched 59 missiles at an airfield believed to have served as a base for Syria’s gas attacks that killed dozens and sickened hundreds more.
A Huffington Post/You Gov survey showed a 51-to-32 percent edge in favor of Trump’s decision, the first direct U.S. attack on Syria during its six-year civil war.
But both polls showed only about a fifth of those polled want the U.S. leader to take further military action against the Damascus government.
The CBS poll said seven in 10 Americans think Trump should get congressional approval before taking any further action. The Huffington poll said that only a third of those it polled think that Trump’s missile attack will deter Assad from using chemical weapons again.
Trump’s approval ratings were in the mid-to-upper 30 percent range before the attacks, historic lows for a new U.S. leader. But CBS said the figure has now risen to 43 percent, while a separate pollster, Gallup, said Trump’s approval rating stands at 40 percent.
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