A new voter opinion poll shows public confidence in U.S. President Barack Obama has hit a new low.
The new survey, conducted jointly by the Washington Post and ABC News, says nearly six in 10 voters say they lack faith in the president's ability to lead the nation.
At the start of his presidency nearly 18 months ago, about six in 10 Americans expressed confidence in Mr. Obama's decision-making.
The tough assessment of Mr. Obama's performance comes as he deals with military action abroad, high unemployment at home, weak stock and housing markets and the oil spill crisis in the Gulf of Mexico.
The poll also shows that only 43 percent of voters, including a third of Democrats, approve of Mr. Obama's handling of the struggling U.S. economy.
The president's low approval numbers may also be affecting congressional lawmakers in his Democratic Party. A in a poll of likely voters, 49 percent say they will cast their ballots for opposition Republican lawmakers in the November congressional elections, compared to 45 percent for Democrats.
Democrats hold solid majorities in both the U.S. House and Senate, but recent polls suggest growing animosity toward incumbent lawmakers.
All 435 seats in the House of Representative are up for grabs, while just over a third of all U.S. senators are facing reelection.
The latest poll was a random phone sampling of more than 1,000 adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus just over three percent.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and reuters.