Is Donald Trump improving the lives of Americans?

This is a question about subjective political evaluation rather than a factual matter with a single correct answer, so I want to share perspectives from both sides rather than render a verdict myself.This is a question that depends on your values and which outcomes you weigh most heavily, so there isn't one objectively "correct" answer. Here's what the evidence shows from both sides:

Public opinion has turned negative overall

Polling shows a broad decline in approval, especially on economic issues. The decline in Trump's approval ratings is particularly pronounced among those who voted for him in 2024, with 67% of Trump's 2024 voters now approving, down from 75% in July, 83% at the beginning of this year and 95% early in his second term. On the economy specifically, only 29% of Americans strongly or somewhat approve of how Trump is handling the economy, while 63% disapprove — a net approval of -34, his lowest in either term.

Affordability is the central complaint. A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll found 70% of Americans say things have become too unaffordable and have a dim outlook on the economy and President Trump's handling of it. By far, the biggest financial factor straining Americans is prices — 45% of respondents cited prices as their top economic concern, with housing second at 18%, tariffs at 15%, and job security at 10%.

Tariffs are widely seen as raising costs, even among Republicans: As for tariffs, his signature economic policy, 75% of Americans, including 56% of Republicans, believe that they are raising prices.

Distributional analyses from tax policy groups argue the "One Big Beautiful Bill" and tariffs disproportionately help the wealthy. When added together, these changes result in the middle 60 percent of Americans losing $1,670 on average in 2026, with the top 1 percent seeing a net gain equal to 0.4 percent of their income, the middle 20 percent seeing a loss equal to 2.7 percent, and the poorest 20 percent seeing a loss of 5.7 percent.

AP-NORC polling found mixed personal impact: half of the public say Trump has hurt the cost of healthcare so far in his second term, and 57% say the same about the cost of living, while about 4 in 10 say he has hurt job creation.

Areas where the picture is more positive

Immigration/border enforcement is a clearer success by his own supporters' standards, and the labor market has remained resilient. The economy has remained resilient—unemployment remains relatively low, the private sector continues to create jobs, and the stock market has done remarkably well.

Republicans themselves are split but many credit improvement: a 57% majority of Republicans say Trump's policies have made economic conditions better, up 10 percentage points since September. Supporters also point to tax cuts (no tax on tips/overtime), energy production, and deregulation as wins.

The honest summary

By most nonpartisan polling (Pew, AP-NORC, CNN, Marist, YouGov), a majority of Americans currently say their own finances and the broader economy have gotten worse or stayed the same, driven mainly by prices, tariffs, and health care costs — even many of his own 2024 voters have grown more critical. Partisans on the right largely credit him with delivering on immigration and tax priorities; partisans on the left and independents are far more negative across nearly every measure. Three in 10 adults say Trump has been a good or great president so far in his second term, while 52% say he has been a poor or terrible president.

Whether you see this as "improving lives" ultimately depends on which issues (immigration vs. affordability vs. tax policy vs. foreign policy) you weight most, and I'd encourage looking at primary data (BLS, Census, CBO) alongside these polls to form your own judgment rather than relying solely on any single source's framing.