Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

This is a subjective political question where people's assessments vary widely based on their values and priorities. Rather than offering my own opinion, let me search for current perspectives and data on his administration's performance to give you a balanced view.Whether Trump is "improving" the government is a deeply contested question, and the answer depends heavily on which metrics and values you prioritize. Here's what the evidence shows from multiple angles:

Public Opinion

By most measures, public approval has fallen sharply and sits at historic lows for this point in a presidency:

•Trump's approval rating was 47% at the start of his second term, and throughout 2025 to 2026 it has steadily declined to an average of 36 to 37%.

•Trump's approval rating fell to 30% in early October 2026, according to Pew Research, the lowest at a comparable point since Truman in 1946.

•Notably, the decline isn't just among opponents: 67% of Trump's 2024 voters now approve of his performance, down from 75% in July, 83% at the beginning of this year and 95% early in his second term.

•Much of the decline has come from Republicans and Republican-leaning independents: 69% approve of his job performance now, down from 84% in February 2025.

Areas Supporters Point to as Improvements

•Immigration/border security: The administration touts ending what it calls Democrats' "open borders disaster" and establishing what it describes as the strongest border in history.

•Crime: The U.S. murder rate fell to what the administration calls a historic low in 2025 — the lowest level in 125 years — after the largest annual drop in violent crime, with White House data claiming this trend continued into 2026.

•Energy production: One of the strongest data-backed accomplishments has been energy, with U.S. crude oil production reaching approximately 13.6 million barrels per day in 2025, a record annual level, up roughly 350,000 barrels per day from the previous year.

•Deregulation: The administration claims it revoked the Obama-era Endangerment Finding, calling it the single-largest deregulatory action in American history, worth $1.3 trillion.

•Tax policy: Supporters cite tax cuts including no tax on tips, overtime, or Social Security as a major win.

Areas Critics Point to as Deterioration

•Affordability/economy: This is the most consistently cited weak point. Only 26% of U.S. adults express support for how Trump is tackling the economy, and just 17% approve of how he's addressing cost of living, according to AP-NORC polling.

•Manufacturing/tariffs: After imposing the highest U.S. tariffs since the Great Depression and claiming jobs and factories would "come roaring back," manufacturing employment declined every month for the rest of the year.

•Fiscal health: Critics note this year's deficit is the highest ever outside a war or recession, the national debt hit a record $40 trillion, and Moody's downgraded America's credit rating from AAA.

•Democratic norms/institutions: Courts are tracking 552 cases challenging administration actions, with 153 resulting in permanent or temporary blocks on government action, suggesting significant legal pushback against executive actions.

•Truthfulness: Fact-checkers have documented numerous instances of false or misleading claims during his second term, including disputed statements about Iran's nuclear timeline, economic data, and foreign policy outcomes.

•Healthcare costs: Premium payments are expected to more than double by 2027, and the CBO projects the budget will add roughly 10 million Americans to the uninsured over a decade.

Bottom Line

There's no neutral consensus answer here — it genuinely depends on your priorities:

•If you weight border security, crime reduction, energy production, and deregulation heavily, there's a case for improvement.

•If you weight affordability, fiscal sustainability, institutional norms, and truthfulness in governance heavily, the data points toward deterioration — and this view is currently reflected in historically low approval ratings even among his own 2024 voters.

I'd encourage you to look at specific policy areas you care most about rather than seeking a single up/down verdict, since "the government" encompasses many different functions that are moving in different directions simultaneously.

Citations (15)

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...”
4pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Trump’s job approval rating is low by historical standards | Pew Research Center
Source excerpt: “The decrease in Trump’s approval ratings during his current administration has primarily come from Republicans and Republican-leaning independents: To...”
5whitehouse.govGovernment
President Trump Delivers Historic Results for the American People in Under Two Years – The White House
Source excerpt: “President Trump ended Democrats’ open borders disaster, established the strongest border in history, and restored American sovereignty.”
6whitehouse.govGovernment
President Trump Delivers Historic Results for the American People in Under Two Years – The White House
Source excerpt: “The U.S. murder rate fell to a historic low in 2025 — the lowest level in 125 years — after the largest annual drop in violent crime in American histo...”
7stl.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...”
8whitehouse.govGovernment
President Trump Delivers Historic Results for the American People in Under Two Years – The White House
Source excerpt: “President Trump revoked the Obama-era Endangerment Finding — the single-largest deregulatory action in American history, worth $1.3 trillion.”
9politibrawl.comNot yet classified
2 Years Later… What Has Donald Trump Accomplished in His Second Term? It’s UNBELIEVABLE
Source excerpt: “Biggest tax cuts (Great Big Beautiful Bill): no tax on tips, overtime, or Social Security. ”
10time.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...”
11wikipedia.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...”
12newsbeep.comLow provenance
Trump's Unhinged Second Term: 100 Actions You May Have Forgotten - News Beep | NewsBeep.com
Source excerpt: “This year’s $2 trillion deficit is the highest ever outside a war or recession.The U.S. national debt just hit a record $40 trillion. Moody’s downgrad...”
13cnn.comNews and mediaquality 0.66
Analysis: 2026 is a hinge in history that will define Trump’s second term and legacy | CNN Politics
Source excerpt: “The website Just Security is currently tracking 552 cases, of which 153 resulted in permanent or temporary blocks on government action. Another 28 are...”
14wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
False or misleading statements by Donald Trump (second term) - Wikipedia
Source excerpt: “During his second term as president of the United States, Donald Trump has made numerous false or misleading claims. ”
15newsbeep.comLow provenance
Trump's Unhinged Second Term: 100 Actions You May Have Forgotten - News Beep | NewsBeep.com
Source excerpt: “As a result, in 2027, premium payments are expected to more than double, from $888 to $1,904 a year, and as many as 5 million people may drop coverage...”