Is Donald Trump improving the US government?
This is a deeply subjective question that reasonable people disagree on based on their values and priorities, so I can't give a definitive yes/no answer. But I can share what's being reported about the effects of his policies so you can form your own view. Let me look into recent developments.Whether Trump is "improving" the US government is a matter of political judgment, not something that can be objectively answered — it depends heavily on your values and priorities. Here's what the evidence shows on multiple fronts so you can weigh it yourself:
Arguments that things have gotten worse
Workforce and agency capacity: Watchdog groups report significant disruption to government operations. In 2025, the president and his appointees purged the government of more than 300,000 employees, began the politicization of the nonpartisan civil service, unilaterally dismantled agencies created by Congress, halted critical programs and services, and sought retribution against political opponents and perceived enemies. This resulted in the largest one-year cut in the federal workforce in over 75 years, even though Congress had provided funding for 2025 that largely continued the programs and services in place before President Trump took office, as well as the personnel needed to carry them out.
Service impacts: Critics point to concrete effects on public-facing services: staff cutbacks at the Social Security Administration dramatically increasing wait times for callers and an enormous backlog of cases; the cutting of employees at the Internal Revenue Service that will likely create more problems for taxpayers in 2026; or the loss of doctors and nurses at the Department of Veterans Affairs that could adversely impact medical care.
Public trust: According to Pew Research, 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 fewer (19%) say it has risen.
Approval trends: His approval has fallen over the course of the year — his job approval rating now stands at 34% – the lowest mark of his second term, and one of the steepest declines has been in the share of Americans who say Trump "keeps his promises," down to 38% from 51% shortly after his reelection.
Arguments that things have improved
Policy accomplishments: Supporters point to significant legislative and executive action. The shifts in US policy have been dramatic, spanning trade and industrial policy, including a wave of new tariffs; a deregulatory push; a new approach to artificial intelligence (AI) and energy policy; and a significant reshaping of the role of the federal government. On the legislative front, the president's key accomplishment was passage of his One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Congress also passed the first federal law providing a legal framework for stablecoins, another key focus area for the president.
DOGE reception: Early on, the Department of Government Efficiency initiative drew mixed but notable support — one survey found the 49% approval of Elon Musk's role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) speaks to the billionaire's growing influence in shaping government reform narratives, with Republicans overwhelmingly approving (84%) and 45% approval among independents — suggesting many voters initially viewed the efficiency push favorably, even if overall execution later drew criticism.
The bigger picture
This has been an unusually turbulent year by any measure: in the first year of his administration, Trump signed nearly 230 executive orders, hundreds of legal challenges have been filed to slow or stop certain executive actions, and a historic government shutdown also closed federal agencies for 43 days. Whether that turbulence represents necessary disruption to fix a bloated bureaucracy, or damaging erosion of institutional capacity and norms, is exactly the kind of question where honest people land in very different places depending on their political priorities.
If you want, I can dig deeper into a specific area — the economy, immigration enforcement, courts/rule of law, foreign policy — where there's more concrete data to evaluate.
Citations (14)
- A Government in Chaos: Trump's first year back in office - Partnership for Public Service
Source excerpt: “In 2025, the president and his appointees purged the government of more than 300,000 employees, began the politicization of the nonpartisan civil serv...”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: In 2025 the administration purged over 300,000 employees, politicized the civil service, and dismantled congressionally created agencies.
- Tight 2026 Non-Defense Funding Rejects Trump’s Proposed Deep Cuts, But Congress Will Need to Continue to Guard Against Administration Abuses
Source excerpt: “Yet before Congress approved any of those personnel cuts, the Administration unilaterally pushed forward with sharp reductions in federal personnel — ...”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: The administration unilaterally pushed sharp federal personnel reductions before Congress approved any cuts, producing the largest one-year workforce cut in 75 years.
- Tight 2026 Non-Defense Funding Rejects Trump’s Proposed Deep Cuts, But Congress Will Need to Continue to Guard Against Administration Abuses
Source excerpt: “The Administration cut federal personnel even though Congress had provided funding for 2025 that largely continued the programs and services in place ...”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: Personnel were cut even though Congress had funded 2025 programs and the personnel needed to carry them out.
- A Government in Chaos: Trump's first year back in office - Partnership for Public Service
Source excerpt: “The continued attacks on the federal workforce will likely play out with new rules allowing the administration to arbitrarily and without due process ...”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: Cuts at SSA, IRS and VA harm services, with continued attacks on the federal workforce expected.
- 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. ”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: 56% of Americans say ethics and honesty in federal government have fallen during Trump's term; 19% say risen.
- Trump Loses Ground on Several Personal Traits as Approval Rating Slips | Pew Research Center
Source excerpt: “His job approval rating now stands at 34% – the lowest mark of his second term. ”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: Trump's job approval stands at 34%, the lowest of his second term.
- Trump Loses Ground on Several Personal Traits as Approval Rating Slips | Pew Research Center
Source excerpt: “One of the steepest declines has been in the share of Americans who say Trump “keeps his promises.” Today, 38% say this describes Trump very or fairly...”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: Share saying Trump keeps his promises fell to 38% from 51%.
- Trump at one year: key developments and what to watch | EY - US
Source excerpt: “Read more Read less · President Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term on January 20, 2025, and in only one year, the shifts in US policy ha...”
background, article, neutral. Claim: Shifts in US policy have been dramatic, spanning tariffs, deregulation, AI and energy policy, and reshaping the federal government's role.
- Trump at one year: key developments and what to watch | EY - US
Source excerpt: “On the legislative front, the president’s key accomplishment was passage of his One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). ”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act was the president's key legislative accomplishment.
- Trump at one year: key developments and what to watch | EY - US
Source excerpt: “Congress also passed the first federal law providing a legal framework for stablecoins, another key focus area for the president. ”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: Congress passed the first federal stablecoin legal framework, a presidential focus area.
- Quantus Insights Latest National Survey - February 13, 2025
Source excerpt: “If Trump’s approval numbers are a testament to his staying power, the 49% approval of Elon Musk’s role in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOG...”
statistic, article, points to yes. Claim: 49% approved of Elon Musk's role in DOGE in an early 2025 survey.
- Quantus Insights Latest National Survey - February 13, 2025
Source excerpt: “Broken down demographically, Republicans overwhelmingly approve (84%), while Democrats remain skeptical (78% disapprove)—an unsurprising partisan brea...”
statistic, article, points to yes. Claim: Republicans approved of DOGE role 84% and independents 45%, indicating partisan split.
- Trump at one year: key developments and what to watch | EY - US
Source excerpt: “Read more Read less · Many of the changes to date have been driven through executive actions; in the first year of his administration, Trump signed ne...”
statistic, article, neutral. Claim: Trump signed nearly 230 executive orders in his first year.
- Trump at one year: key developments and what to watch | EY - US
Source excerpt: “Over the same period, hundreds of legal challenges have been filed to slow or stop certain executive actions. A historic government shutdown also clos...”
evidence, article, neutral. Claim: Hundreds of legal challenges were filed and a historic 43-day government shutdown closed agencies.