Is Trump improving how the government works? I'll gather current data on his reforms and public opinion to assess what's changing.
Whether Donald Trump is improving the U.S. government depends on how "improving" is defined and which metrics are prioritized. The record of his second term, which began January 20, 2025, shows areas supporters cite as improvements and areas critics cite as deterioration:
1. Government Efficiency and Size
The administration's central effort was the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE):
•Established January 20, 2025 by Executive Order 14158 with a stated mission to modernize federal information technology, maximize productivity, and eliminate waste, fraud
•Scheduled to operate until July 4, 2026 with an ambitious target of saving $2 trillion
•The campaign to remake the federal workforce continued even after DOGE quietly expired / was declared defunct, with functions transferred to the Office of Personnel Management. OPM Director Scott Kupor confirmed DOGE "doesn't exist" as a central body and that its activities have largely been transferred to OPM
Workforce reduction:
•GAO reported that nearly 378,000 federal employees separated from federal agencies during 2025, while approximately 127,000 were hired
•The federal workforce has fallen to about 2.7 million employees, the lowest level in 60 years, after more than 300,000 jobs cut since January 2025
Savings claims vs. verification:
•DOGE's "Wall of Receipts" as of July 7, 2026 claimed approximately $110 billion in savings from contracts, grants, and leases, while other official statements credited it with saving $180 billion
•GAO found some savings estimates were incorrect or lacked sufficient supporting evidence, that DOGE had not consistently followed its stated methodology, and investigators could not verify the calculation method for 96% of reported grant savings
•An independent review noted DOGE initially promised to save between $1 and $2 trillion, but savings figures were frequently unverifiable, inconsistently defined and ultimately fell far short, and DOGE was dissolved months ahead of schedule
Supporters view the workforce cuts and deregulation as shrinking bureaucracy. Critics view the approach as generating institutional disruption and legal friction without reducing spending.
2. Deregulation
•In January 2025, Trump issued an executive order establishing a "10-for-1" regulatory policy: agencies introducing a new regulation generally must identify at least ten existing regulations for elimination
•The White House has claimed the government-wide deregulatory mandate is projected to save the U.S. economy $1.5 trillion in FY2026 alone
Analysts who favor limited government describe this as one of the clearest wins, arguing it reduces compliance costs and permitting delays. Others argue deregulation risks removing protections.
3. Border Security and Immigration
This is the area most consistently cited as an improvement by supporters:
•In fiscal year 2025, unauthorized migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border dropped to about 444,000, down from roughly 2.1 million the previous year
•In FY 2026, Border Patrol recorded just 98,708 southwest border apprehensions — a 95% drop from more than 1.8 million per year under the prior administration
•The White House stated more than three million migrants have left the country in Trump's second term
Critics note that the administration removed only about 7 percent more individuals than were removed in FY 2024 despite significant increases in resources, and that interior enforcement tactics have increased polarization.
4. Fiscal and Economic Performance
•The economy in Q3 2026 grew at 3.4% annual rate, accelerating from 2.2% in Q2 2026, which the White House described as the strongest pace in a year
•Over the past three quarters, the economy has grown at a 2.7% rate
At the same time:
•CBO projects federal outlays of roughly $7.4 trillion in FY 2026, equal to approximately 23.3% of GDP, above the 50-year average of 21.2%
•CBO's August 2026 review estimated the federal government had already accumulated a roughly $2 trillion deficit during the first 11 months of FY2026
•The 2025 reconciliation law (One Big Beautiful Bill Act) is projected to increase cumulative federal deficits by approximately $3.4 trillion between 2025 and 2034 compared with baseline, due to $4.5 trillion less revenue offset by $1.1 trillion less spending
Supporters argue shrinking the unproductive public sector while growing the private sector will improve long-term metrics, while critics argue spending discipline was not achieved.
5. Public Opinion
Polls in late 2026 show low overall approval:
•Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed October 2026: 31% approve, the lowest level in either term
•Fox News poll October 2026: 36% approve, 64% disapprove
•Pew Research: three-in-ten approve, 68% disapprove
Issue-specific approval varies: one AP-NORC poll found 48% approve of handling of border security, while only 17% approve of handling of cost of living in the same poll.
Bottom Line
•Arguments that government is improving: historically low border encounters, reduced federal headcount to 60-year lows, aggressive deregulation and permitting reform, and stronger recent GDP growth.
•Arguments that it is not improving: savings claims not verified by auditors, federal spending and deficits continuing to rise, and institutional disruption and legal challenges from rapid workforce changes.
Evaluation typically reflects whether an observer prioritizes smaller federal workforce, deregulation, and border enforcement as measures of improvement, or fiscal sustainability, institutional stability, and verified cost savings.