Is Donald Trump improving the lives of Americans?

Looking at how policies are affecting Americans — I'll gather the latest economic and polling data to give you a balanced view.

Whether Donald Trump is improving the lives of Americans depends on which metrics are used, and polls and economic data show mixed results in his second term, which began January 20, 2025.

What Administration Data Shows

The White House has pointed to several positive economic indicators:

•Core inflation has tracked at 2.1% since President Trump took office

•Real wages for production and nonsupervisory workers are up 1.3% over last year

•The administration says Americans’ real wages are on track to rise by 4.2% in the first full year

•Retail sales are up 5% over last year

•After inflation outpaced wages for 26 straight months under Biden, real wages have increased nearly every month since President Trump took office

An independent analysis cited by Texas A&M found wages grew at 3.7% while prices rose 2.4% in the first year of his second term, for an annualized growth in real wages of 1.3%, which it noted was nearly twice the long-term average of 0.6% from 2006-2025.

Other official statistics:

•The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased 2.4 percent for the 12 months ending May 2025

•The unemployment rate held at 4.2 percent in May 2025

•Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 139,000 in May

•The S&P 500 generated a total return of 17.9% in 2025, after shifting trade policies and fluctuating tariffs triggered volatility in the early months of the second term

What Critics and Cost Analyses Show

Other analyses focus on the cost of tariffs:

•Sweeping taxes on imports have cost the average American household nearly $1,200 since Donald Trump returned to the White House, according to calculations by Democrats on Congress' Joint Economic Committee

•About 90% of the economic burden from tariffs in 2025 was borne by US companies and consumers, according to a study by economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York

•The same study found about 94% of the tariff costs were passed through to US firms and consumers in the first eight months of the year

A Congressional Budget Office analysis cited by Democrats concluded the tariffs will be equivalent to a $2.5 trillion tax hike over 2025-2035.

What Polls Show About Public Perception

Public opinion is also divided:

•In an April 16-20, 2026 AP-NORC poll, 30% approve of his handling of the economy, down from 38% in March. In that poll, 73% described the economy as poor, up from 66% in February.

•In a July 2025 AP-NORC poll, 49% of adults feel Trump’s policies have done more to hurt them, while one quarter feel they have helped, and another quarter say they have not been impacted.

•Pew Research found Americans are more likely to say they expect the policies will cost taxpayers money (53%) rather than save taxpayers money (29%), and more say the policies will make the U.S. economy weaker (46%) rather than stronger (34%).

•About half say the country as a whole and the national economy have become somewhat or much worse off since Trump became president in 2025.

Overall, administration sources emphasize low and stable inflation, wage growth beating inflation, and deregulation saving families money, while polling shows a plurality of Americans say they feel hurt rather than helped, and many economists point to tariff pass-through costs as offsetting gains. The assessment often correlates with partisan views, income level, and whether individuals are more affected by wage growth and investment returns or by price increases on imported goods.

Citations (2)

1apnorc.orgAcademic
Fewer approve of Trump’s handling of the economy - AP-NORC
Backs: “A Congressional Budget Office analysis cited by Democrats concluded the tariffs will be equivalent to a $2.5 trillion tax hike over 2025-2035. What Polls Show About Public Perception. Public opinion is also divided:”
2apnorc.orgAcademic
People are more likely to say Trump’s policies have hurt them than helped them - AP-NORC
Backs: “In an April 16-20, 2026 AP-NORC poll, 30% approve of his handling of the economy, down from 38% in March. In that poll, 73% described the economy as poor, up from 66% in February. In a July 2025 AP-NORC poll, 49% of adults feel Trump’s policies have done more to hurt them, while one quarter feel they have helped, and…”