PRINCETON, NJ — A new USA Today/Gallup poll finds a majority of Americans approving of President Obama’s decision to remove Gen. Stanley McChrystal as commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Those who say they are following news of the story “very” or “somewhat closely” approve by close to a 2-to-1 margin. […] The poll was conducted June 25-26, just days after Obama announced he was relieving McChrystal of his duties. Earlier in the week, a Rolling Stone magazine article quoted McChrystal and his aides making disparaging comments about members of the Obama administration. Sixty-three percent of Americans say they are following the news of the story closely, including 28% who say very closely.

Though most Americans approve of Obama’s decision to oust McChrystal, they don’t necessarily agree that removing the general from his duties was the best way to handle the matter. Specifically, 37% say Obama ideally would have reprimanded McChrystal but not removed him from his command, about the same as the proportion who say removing McChrystal was the best way to handle the situation (38%). Another 12% say Obama should not have taken any action against McChrystal. Fourteen percent do not express an opinion.