Americans on edge following the terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California, view terrorism as the biggest issue facing the nation, according to a new Gallup poll.
Nearly one in six Americans—16 percent—cited terrorism as the most pressing problem in the United States, surging five-fold from 3 percent at the beginning of November, before the two deadly massacres.
The percentage of Americans who contend terrorism is the nation’s primary concern is at its highest in a decade, since bombings in London, according to the poll released Monday.
President Barack Obama attempted to ease public anxiety during a speech Monday at the Pentagon, saying the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State is hitting the terrorist army “harder than ever.”
“ISIL leaders cannot hide, and our message to them is simple: You are next,” Obama said in reference to the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, following a meeting with his national security team and top generals.
He detailed military accomplishments, including a ramped-up bombing campaign and regained territory in Iraq and Syria, but he conceded that “progress needs to happen faster.”
