Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

This is a subjective political question that reasonable people disagree on, so I can't give a definitive yes/no answer. However, I can share what different perspectives say based on recent developments.## There's no single objective answer — it depends on your values and priorities

Whether Trump is "improving" the government is a judgment call that depends heavily on political perspective. Here's what the evidence shows from different angles as of late 2026:

Public opinion has turned negative

Polling shows a clear decline in approval. Trump's approval rating was 47% at the start of his second term, and throughout 2025-2026, it steadily declined to an average of 36 to 37%. More recent polling is even starker — Trump's approval rating fell to 30% in early October, the last time a president's approval was this low this close to midterms was Harry Truman in 1946. Notably, the decline is particularly pronounced among his own 2024 voters: 67% now approve of his performance, down from 95% early in his second term.

Economic dissatisfaction appears to be the biggest driver: only 26% of adults support his handling of the economy, and just 17% approve of how he's addressing cost of living.

Arguments that things are improving (supporter/administration view)

•Energy production: U.S. crude oil production reached approximately 13.6 million barrels per day in 2025, a record level, up roughly 350,000 barrels per day from the previous year.

•Labor market stability: Unemployment remained around the low 4 percent range in early 2026, with job growth continuing in healthcare, construction, transportation, and warehousing.

•Deregulation/executive action: PBS and other outlets reported a "staggering number" of executive orders aimed at expanding executive power and rolling back prior agency rules.

•Foreign policy wins touted by supporters: a Gaza ceasefire and pressure on NATO allies to increase defense spending, though the cease-fire halted the worst of the fighting but left the disarmament of Hamas unresolved.

Arguments that things are getting worse (critic view)

•Inflation/tariffs: Upon imposing the highest U.S. tariffs since the Great Depression, Trump claimed jobs and factories would come roaring back; however, manufacturing employment declined every month for the rest of the year, and consumer prices began rising despite claims inflation had stopped.

•Ethics/governance norms: A majority of Americans (56%) say the overall level of ethics and honesty in the federal government has fallen over Trump's term, while far fewer (19%) say it has risen. Even among his own base, confidence has eroded — only 37% of Republicans now say ethics in government has risen under Trump, down sharply from initial expectations.

•Institutional/legal concerns: Critics point to actions like the January 2026 airstrikes in Venezuela that captured President Maduro, conducted without congressional awareness or authorization, and an administration campaign described by the Brennan Center as rewriting election rules and retreating from the federal role in protecting elections.

•Democratic norms: Critics specifically cite the pardoning of roughly 1,500 January 6 defendants, including some convicted of assaulting police officers, as a troubling precedent.

Bottom line

If "improving" means better economic conditions, lower costs, and higher public trust — the data (approval ratings, consumer sentiment, ethics perceptions) currently points negative, even among many of his own voters. If "improving" means executing campaign promises on energy, deregulation, immigration enforcement, and tariffs regardless of near-term costs, supporters would call that a success in direction if not yet in results. Reasonable people will weigh these tradeoffs differently based on their political values — I'd encourage you to look at the specific policy areas you care most about rather than seeking one verdict.

Citations (14)

1wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
Opinion polling on the second Trump presidency - Wikipedia
Source excerpt: “At the time when Donald Trump began his second term, his approval rating was 47%, the second lowest approval rating at the start of a presidential ter...”
2time.comNews and mediaquality 0.83
Trump's Approval Is Historically Low This Close to the Midterms
Source excerpt: “Trump’s approval rating fell to 30% in early October, according to polling from the Pew Research Center. The last time an American President’s approva...”
3pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Trump’s Approval Rating Drops as Fewer Americans Are Confident in His Handling of the Economy, Other Issues | Pew Research Center
Source excerpt: “The decline in Trump’s approval ratings is particularly pronounced among those who voted for him in 2024, and among those who did not vote: 67% of Tru...”
4time.comNews and mediaquality 0.83
Trump's Approval Is Historically Low This Close to the Midterms
Source excerpt: “Data indicates that much of Americans’ dissatisfaction with the Trump Administration is being driven by the economy; according to polling from The Ass...”
5stl.newsNews and media
Trump’s Second Term: The Data Behind the Accomplishments and the Fight Over the Narrative in 2026
Source excerpt: “U.S. crude oil production reached approximately 13.6 million barrels per day in 2025, setting a record annual level. Production increased by roughly 3...”
6stl.newsNews and media
Trump’s Second Term: The Data Behind the Accomplishments and the Fight Over the Narrative in 2026
Source excerpt: “The labor market remained stable through major second-term policy changes. Unemployment remained around the low 4 percent range in early 2026, and job...”
7factually.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...”
8time.comNews and mediaquality 0.83
How Trump's Foreign Policy Gambits Are Reshaping the World
Source excerpt: “In Gaza, the cease-fire halted the worst of the fighting but left the disarmament of Hamas unresolved and the question of full Israeli withdrawal open...”
9wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
Second presidency of Donald Trump - Wikipedia
Source excerpt: “Upon imposing the highest U.S. tariffs since the Great Depression (called "Liberation Day" in April 2025), Trump claimed that "jobs and factories will...”
10pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Trump Loses Ground on Several Personal Traits as Approval Rating Slips | Pew Research Center
Source excerpt: “A majority of Americans (56%) say the overall level of ethics and honesty in the federal government has fallen over the course of Trump’s term. Far fe...”
11pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Trump Loses Ground on Several Personal Traits as Approval Rating Slips | Pew Research Center
Source excerpt: “Today, 37% of Republicans and Republican leaners say the level of ethics in government has risen with Trump as president, while 23% say it has fallen....”
12wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
Second presidency of Donald Trump - Wikipedia
Source excerpt: “On January 3, 2026, the United States launched airstrikes in Venezuela, capturing Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, and resulting in a...”
13factually.coLow provenance
What has Trump done bad in his 2nd term? Give me a lis
Source excerpt: “Multiple legal and policy initiatives since day one of the second term are characterized by the Brennan Center as an administration campaign to rewrit...”
14rollingstone.comNews and mediaquality 0.56
Trump's Unhinged Second Term: 100 Actions You May Have Forgotten
Source excerpt: “But perhaps the most dangerous violation of basic safety occurred on day one of this term, when Trump legitimized political violence by pardoning roug...”