Barack Obama might have been in office for less than a week, but the euphoria is beginning to wane.
The new President's approval ratings have fallen from a stratospheric 83 per cent to a more modest - although still impressive - 68 per cent.
Washington analysts said the scale of the drop in the Gallup poll underlines the immense challenges Mr Obama faces in trying to turn round the U.S.'s battered fortunes.
He still remains vastly more popular than his predecessor George Bush - who left office with around 25 per cent approval.
But there were signs yesterday that reality has set in following the wave of optimism surrounding his inauguration last Tuesday.
Mr Obama is facing an ugly battle with Republicans over his plans to bail out the economy with ??515billion of taxpayers' cash. Opposition leaders claim the rescue package relies too much on government spending and not enough on tax relief for families and small businesses.
