Short answer: it’s mixed, and depends on the yardstick you care about. Here’s a quick, current snapshot using official data (dates are 2025–2026, during Trump’s current term, which began January 20, 2025):
Economy and prices
•Inflation: CPI was up 3.4% year over year in August 2026; core inflation (excluding food/energy) was 2.4%. That’s far below 2022 peaks but still above the Fed’s 2% goal.[1]
•Jobs: Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, with payrolls +162,000 that month—solid but slower than 2021–2023 expansions.[2]
•Growth: Real GDP grew at a 1.5% annual rate in 2026 Q2 (down from 2.1% in Q1), indicating a cooling economy.[3]
•Paychecks vs. prices: Real average hourly earnings were down 0.3% over the year to August 2026 for all employees, meaning many workers’ buying power slipped slightly.[4]
•Everyday costs: Gasoline averaged about $4.32/gal for regular in the week ending September 14, 2026 (roughly $1 more than a year earlier). 30‑year mortgage rates were about 6.95% as of September 17, 2026, keeping housing affordability tight.[5]
Crime and public safety
•Violent crime dropped sharply in 2025; the FBI reports a 9.3% decline, with the murder rate at about 4.1 per 100,000—the lowest since the 1950s. Early 2026 city data show homicide down another ~18% through mid‑year. Most analysts attribute declines to multiple factors, not any single policy.[6]
Border and immigration
•CBP data show encounters and Border Patrol apprehensions fell dramatically in 2025 and stayed far below 2021–2023 levels through mid‑2026 (e.g., CBP reported ~31,600 total encounters nationwide in June 2026; ~9,800 SW border apprehensions). The administration also reports sustained “zero releases” from Border Patrol custody for many months. Critics note maritime and other routes may offset some of the land‑border drop.[7]
Trade and tariffs
•In April 2025, the administration imposed a 10% “baseline” tariff via executive action. In February 2026, the Supreme Court ruled the IEEPA‑based tariffs unlawful, voiding much of that regime; the administration has pursued other legal avenues since. Independent forecasters (CBO, others) have estimated that higher, broad tariffs tend to raise prices modestly and slightly reduce growth.[8]
Federal finances
•The deficit remains very large: CBO estimates a $2.0 trillion shortfall in the first 11 months of FY2026, with debt on a rising path absent policy changes. Big drivers include interest costs and major programs.[9]
How to read this
•If your priorities are lower crime and fewer illegal crossings, indicators have moved in a direction you might view as “improving lives.”[6]
•If your priorities are real wage gains, cheaper gas, lower mortgage rates, and smaller deficits, the past year hasn’t felt like an improvement yet.[4]
If you tell me which outcomes matter most to you (e.g., cost of living, safety, immigration, climate/energy, health care), I can drill down on those specifically.[10]
Backs: “Real average hourly earnings were down 0.3% over the year to August 2026 for all employees, meaning many workers’ buying power slipped slightly.”
Backs: “CBO estimates a $2.0 trillion shortfall in the first 11 months of FY2026, with debt on a rising path absent policy changes. Big drivers include interest costs and major programs.”
Backs: “If you tell me which outcomes matter most to you (e.g., cost of living, safety, immigration, climate/energy, health care), I can drill down on those specifically.”