How many "kinetic military actions" will it take for war skepticism to stick with the American public?
A new poll by the Chicago Council of Foreign Affairs (CCFA) finds that 75 percent of Americans believe that North Korea—a hermit kingdom thousands of miles away that is unable to keep its people from starving, a country whose military budget is a 60th the size of America's—presents a critical threat to the United States. That's up from 55 percent two years ago.
These feelings don't seem to be tempered by President Donald Trump's historically low approval ratings, which currently stand at 38 percent. In the latest CBS survey, 62 percent of respondents say Trump's behavior as president has decreased their confidence in his ability. The numbers aren't better specifically on foreign policy: 61 percent say they're "uneasy" about Trump's ability to thwart North Korea.
Those numbers are unlikely to improve, as Trump responded to over-the-top threats North Korea regularly issues with one of his own this afternoon.