US News

Hillary Clinton’s popularity plunges to 5-year low

Hillary Clinton’s popularity has slipped to a five-year low, as the former first lady gradually loses her poll-friendly statesman-like status, according to new Gallup Poll findings on Wednesday.

Clinton has a favorable opinion from 54 percent of Americans, down from 59 percent in February, the latest Gallup poll revealed.

The former first lady consistently enjoyed favorability ratings in the mid-60s when she served as secretary of state, between 2009 and early 2013.

But now that Clinton — the presumptive Democratic frontrunner for the 2016 White House race — has ,moved deep into the political realm, her favorability numbers have predictably eroded.

Clinton’s 54 percent favorability is her lowest since August 2008, not long after she lost a brutal primary fight against then-US Sen. Barack Obama.

The politically polarizing Clinton is still liked by 90 percent of Democrats but only by 21 percent of Republicans, the Gallup Poll showed.

Clinton had consistently enjoyed low-40s support from Republicans during her cabinet tenure.

But those GOP numbers declined sharply, into the low-30s by late 2012, coinciding with the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and two fellow Americans in his security detail.