Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

Both sidesSays it is contested

This is a deeply subjective question that reasonable people disagree on based on their values and priorities, so I can't give a definitive yes/no answer. But I can share what different perspectives and data show about his second-term record so far. Let me pull some current information.# Is Trump Improving the US Government? — It Depends on Who You Ask

There's no objective, universally-agreed answer to this question — it depends heavily on political values, which policies you prioritize, and how you define "improving." Here's what the data and various perspectives show as of September 2026, about 20 months into his second term:

Public Opinion Has Soured

Approval ratings have declined significantly and are near record lows for his second term. Trump's approval rating in September 2026 stands at roughly 37.8% approve, 58.4% disapprove — a net of -20.6 points, according to polling averages. Other recent polls show even lower numbers — Ipsos/Reuters found a 33% approval rating and 63% disapproval, and CNN/SSRS found 34% approval and 66% disapproval. Independent voters have soured especially: Republicans approve at 87%, Democrats at 7%, and Independents at 34% — down 14 points from his 48% inaugural-period independent approval.

Polling firm Angus Reid found in August 2026 that more than a year and a half into his second term, Trump's approval has slipped to its lowest level yet, with the public more likely to identify failures than accomplishments.

What Supporters Point To

Backers of the administration cite concrete policy actions:

•Energy production: U.S. crude oil production reached approximately 13.6 million barrels per day in 2025, a record annual level, an increase of roughly 350,000 barrels per day compared with the previous year.

•Deregulation: The administration claims major deregulatory savings, citing figures like $6.6 billion in savings and a reduction of 42 million hours of compliance work.

•Executive action volume: A defining pattern has been the prolific use of executive orders early in the term, with a "staggering number" of orders aimed at expanding executive power and rolling back prior agency rules.

•Legislation: The "One Big Beautiful Bill" tax law, along with immigration enforcement measures, are frequently cited as core second-term wins.

What Critics Point To

•Economic strain: Analysts point to sharp approval declines driven by tariff-driven inflation, with Q1 GDP at +2.0% but PCE inflation hitting 4.5%, which some describe as a stagflation-like pattern.

•Exaggerated claims: Fact-checkers have flagged inaccuracies — for instance, Trump claimed the U.S. secured $18 trillion in investment commitments, while the White House's own site showed $9.6 trillion, and experts caution some pledges may not materialize or are unrealistically large.

•Contested legal/foreign actions: The administration authorized lethal strikes in Caribbean waters and a high-profile capture operation in Venezuela, along with escalatory operations involving Iran, drawing legal and international controversy.

•Institutional concerns: One assessment frames it this way: measured by short-term policy execution Trump has registered tangible successes, but measured by institutional stability and bipartisan consensus, his second term is more equivocal — success depends on whether one prioritizes policy outputs or institutional norms.

Bottom Line

Whether this counts as "improving" government depends on your yardstick. If you value deregulation, energy expansion, and aggressive executive action, supporters would say yes. If you prioritize institutional norms, economic stability for average households, and bipartisan governance, critics — and currently a majority of polled Americans — would say no. I'd encourage you to look at the specific policy areas you care most about (economy, immigration, foreign policy, etc.) rather than relying on a single up-or-down verdict.

Citations (12)

1uspollingdata.comData and tools
Trump Approval Rating 2026 — Monthly Tracker & Historical Comparison
Source excerpt: “Trump approval rating September 2026: 37.8% approve, 58.4% disapprove (-20.6 net). ”
statistic, data page, points to no. Claim: Trump's September 2026 approval is about 37.8% approve, 58.4% disapprove, net -20.6 points.
2yahoo.comNews and mediaquality 0.69
Trump's September 2026 approval polls continue to fall in SC, U.S.
Source excerpt: “Most recent polls from Ipsos with Reuters surveyed 1,167 adults and found a 33% approval rating and a 63% disapproval rating, a net approval rating of...”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: Ipsos/Reuters found a 33% approval and 63% disapproval rating.
3yahoo.comNews and mediaquality 0.69
Trump's September 2026 approval polls continue to fall in SC, U.S.
Source excerpt: “Most recent polls from CNN/SSRS surveyed 1,225 adults and found a 34% approval rating and a 66% disapproval rating, a net approval rating of -32 perce...”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: CNN/SSRS found 34% approval and 66% disapproval.
4uspollingdata.comData and tools
Trump Approval Rating 2026 — Monthly Tracker & Historical Comparison
Source excerpt: “Republicans 87% approve; Democrats 7% approve; Independents 34% approve. The independent figure is the most electorally significant — it has declined ...”
statistic, data page, points to no. Claim: Republicans approve at 87%, Democrats 7%, Independents 34%, down 14 points among independents.
5angusreid.usNonprofits and think tanks
Trump at a Low: Approval drops to 34%, nearly half say he has accomplished ‘nothing’ in second term - Angus Reid USA
Source excerpt: “August 20, 2026 – More than a ... slipped to its lowest level yet, while the public evaluating his record are considerably more likely to identify fai...”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: Angus Reid found approval at its lowest level yet, with the public more likely to identify failures than accomplishments.
6stl.newsNews and media
Trump’s Second Term: The Data Behind the Accomplishments and the Fight Over the Narrative in 2026
Source excerpt: “One of the strongest data-backed accomplishments of Trump’s second term is energy production. U.S. crude oil production reached approximately 13.6 mil...”
statistic, article, points to yes. Claim: US crude oil production reached about 13.6 million barrels per day in 2025, a record, up roughly 350,000 bpd.
7factually.coLow provenance
list of Trump's accomplishments during 2nd term
Source excerpt: “The administration also claims major deregulatory savings for medical and other sectors, citing figures like $6.6 billion in savings and a reduction o...”
statistic, article, points to yes. Claim: The administration claims deregulatory savings of $6.6 billion and a 42 million hour reduction in compliance work.
8factually.coLow provenance
list of Trump's accomplishments during 2nd term
Source excerpt: “A defining pattern has been the prolific use of executive orders early in the term to reshape federal policy and the bureaucracy; PBS and other outlet...”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: Prolific early use of executive orders to reshape federal policy and roll back agency rules.
9uspollingdata.comData and tools
Trump Approval Rating 2026 — Monthly Tracker & Historical Comparison
Source excerpt: “May 2026 marks the sharpest single-month decline and the lowest approval of either Trump term, driven by tariff-driven inflation and Q1 GDP coming in ...”
evidence, data page, points to no. Claim: Approval declines were driven by tariff-driven inflation, with Q1 GDP at +2.0% and PCE inflation at 4.5%, a stagflation-like pattern.
10wral.comNews and mediaquality 0.88
Fact-checking Donald Trump’s claims about his second term accomplishments :: WRAL.com
Source excerpt: “He said the U.S. has "secured a record-breaking $18 trillion in commitments for new investments." The White House website since mid-November has shown...”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: Trump claimed $18 trillion in investment commitments while the White House site showed $9.6 trillion.
11factually.coLow provenance
Trump accomplishments 24-26
Source excerpt: “Foreign policy and forceful operations: disputed legality and escalatory steps · Open-source summaries and encyclopedic reporting note that the admini...”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: Caribbean lethal strikes, the Venezuela capture operation and Iran operations drew legal and international controversy.
12factually.coLow provenance
Has Donald Trump Been Successful in His Second Term So
Source excerpt: “Measured by short‑term, partisan policy execution—tax and immigration moves, administrative appointments, and GDP figures cited by officials—Trump has...”
attribution, article, neutral. Claim: One assessment says short-term policy execution shows successes, but institutional stability and bipartisan consensus make the term more equivocal.