Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

Your question touches on a debated topic — I'll gather the latest assessments of the administration's government changes to give you a balanced view.

Whether Donald Trump is improving the U.S. government depends on how "improving" is defined and on political perspective. Views are sharply divided, and official claims and independent reviews point in different directions:

Arguments that the government is being improved

The administration presents its agenda as reforming government to be more efficient and accountable:

•The White House says President Trump has "consistently prioritized innovation and efficiency, ensuring that Federal programs are efficient, transparent, and focused on delivering real value to taxpayers—making government smaller, smarter, and work for the American people" and has "driven sweeping reforms to eliminate waste, reduce bureaucracy, and restore accountability across the Federal government".

Specific initiatives cited include:

•America by Design: Launched via Executive Order 14318, a three-year effort "aimed at improving the usability, accessibility, and visual consistency of public digital services" such as IRS.gov and Medicare enrollment.

•Deregulation: The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs reported agencies finalized 646 deregulatory actions compared to only 5 regulatory actions, for a ratio of 129-to-1, with $211.8 billion in net cost savings, over $600 per American. The administration also describes revoking the Obama-era Endangerment Finding as "the single-largest deregulatory action in American history, worth $1.3 trillion" and projects $1.5 trillion in savings in FY2026.

•Workforce and efficiency: The White House states its efficiency reforms have "already saved an estimated $215 billion — about $1,335 per taxpayer — and shrunk the federal workforce to its lowest level since 1966". The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was "launched in January 2025 under President Donald Trump's second administration" to cut wasteful spending. Other examples include Treasury cutting "$2 billion from IRS IT budget without operational disruptions".

Supporters argue these steps lower compliance costs, streamline services, and reduce the size of bureaucracy.

Arguments and reviews that question improvement

Independent and watchdog reviews have challenged the scope and accuracy of claimed improvements:

•Spending vs. workforce: One analysis noted "The Trump administration has cut more than 10 percent of the federal workforce, and the government hasn't crashed. Indeed, it hasn't even shrunk—if you're counting by dollars spent instead of people employed".

•Savings claims disputed: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found the Department of Government Efficiency "claimed tens of billions of dollars in savings on its infamous 'Wall of Receipts,' but the Government Accountability Office found it touted savings that never happened and could not be substantiated".

•GAO found the tracker "listed contracts that were not actually cancelled, took credit for leases that were in the process of termination before DOGE's existence and did not adequately explain how savings were calculated".

•Specifically, "roughly $34.6 billion of the estimated $61 billion saved from cancelled contracts came from either contracts that were never actually terminated or could not be corroborated as terminated", and "DOGE did not provide sufficient information to verify about 96.2% — or $47.32 billion — of estimated grant savings".

•For leases, GAO noted DOGE "reported that it terminated 264 leases, saving taxpayers about $113 million. But the General Services Administration told GAO that 108 out of those 264 leases were identified for termination before DOGE was established".

•A separate investigation found that "of the $145 billion it claimed to have saved via canceled contracts through the end of June 2025, only $1.4 billion—less than 1 percent—were real, verifiable cash savings".

•Concerns about institutions: Critics argue the tenure "represents a profound departure from traditional democratic norms, ethical standards, and institutional stability". Former President Barack Obama warned that the second Trump administration "is challenging institutional norms that previous presidents regarded as essential to governing".

Public opinion is divided

Polling in late 2025 showed split views:

•An average of polls in late 2025 showed "an average 43.4% approval rating and a 53.3% disapproval rating".

•A UMass Lowell/YouGov survey showed "Trump's approval rating sits at 39%, while 57% of respondents believe their lives have become somewhat or much more difficult".

In summary, the administration and its supporters point to deregulation, digital-service modernization, and workforce reduction as evidence of improvement, while watchdog agencies and critics point to overstated savings, continued spending growth, and concerns about democratic norms as evidence that improvements are limited or have trade-offs. Assessment often depends on which metrics — cost savings, service delivery, workforce size, regulatory burden, or institutional norms — a person prioritizes.

Citations (3)

1whitehouse.govGovernment
White House Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Releases End of Year Deregulatory Stats: Showing the Trump Administration Has Best Deregulation Year in Histo…
Backs: “America by Design: Launched via Executive Order 14318, a three-year effort "aimed at improving the usability, accessibility, and visual consistency of public digital services" such as IRS.gov and Medicare enrollment. Deregulation: The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs reported agencies finalized 646…”
2whitehouse.govGovernment
President Trump Delivers Historic Results for the American People in Under Two Years
Backs: “Deregulation: The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs reported agencies finalized 646 deregulatory actions compared to only 5 regulatory actions, for a ratio of 129-to-1, with $211.8 billion in net cost savings, over $600 per American. The administration also describes revoking the Obama-era Endangerment…”
3nextgov.comNews and mediaquality 0.85
DOGE took credit for savings that never happened, watchdog finds
Backs: “workforce: One analysis noted "The Trump administration has cut more than 10 percent of the federal workforce, and the government hasn't crashed. Indeed, it hasn't even shrunk—if you're counting by dollars spent instead of people employed". Savings claims disputed: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found the…”