WASHINGTON, April 25: US President George Bush’s public approval rating has fallen to 32 per cent, a new low for his presidency, a CNN poll showed on Monday.

The survey also showed that 60 percent of Americans disapprove of the way Mr Bush is handling his job.

Mr Bush’s poll numbers have languished below 40 per cent in the last couple of months, hit by growing public opposition to the Iraq invasion, his support for a now-abandoned plan for a Dubai firm to take over major US port operations and American anger over gas prices.

Continuing fallout from the Bush administration’s mishandling of the initial response to Hurricane Katrina has also hurt his popularity.

Mr Bush’s approval rating as measured by CNN’s poll dropped from 36 per cent last year. His lowest job performance measure has been 32 per cent, in a Fox News poll this month.—Reuters