Americans’ trust in Bush dips, says poll

In a sign of dipping public trust in him in crucial election year, most Americans believe President George W. Bush either lied or deliberately exaggerated evidence that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in order to justify war, according to a new poll.

Barely half — 52 per cent — now believe Bush is ‘‘honest and trustworthy’’, down seven points since late October and his worst showing since the question was first asked in March 1999, The Washington Post-ABC News poll showed.

At his best, in the summer of 2002, Bush was viewed as honest by 71 per cent. The poll found that while nearly seven in 10 think Bush ‘‘honestly believed’’ Iraq had WMD, 54 per cent thought he exaggerated or lied. Also, for the first time since the war ended, fewer than half of Americans — 48 per cent — believe the war was worth fighting.