Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

I'll gather current perspectives on Trump's government reforms to give you a balanced answer.

Whether Donald Trump is improving the US government depends on the metric used and political perspective. Views are sharply divided:

What the Administration Claims

The White House describes the second Trump term as "the most consequential stretch of governing in modern American history", claiming:

•Sealed the border, drove violent crime to historic lows, unleashed American energy, cut taxes, and restored military strength

•Government efficiency efforts have saved an estimated $215 billion, equivalent to $1,335 per U.S. taxpayer, and shrunk the federal workforce to its lowest level since 1966

•Other claimed actions: automating federal retirements after decades of records being stored in an underground mine, deregulation, ending waste, fraud and abuse

Administration supporters frame these as making government leaner, more efficient and focused on core priorities.

What Independent and Nonpartisan Assessments Say

On the first anniversary of President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, the Partnership for Public Service released a report assessing the impacts of his administration’s federal workforce reductions, concluding that they have decreased the effectiveness of government services, not achieved stated efficiency goals and were conducted with minimal transparency.

The Partnership characterized the first year as “the most radical transformation of the federal government in over a half-century”, and argued:

•Workforce cuts at agencies like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have made the U.S. less prepared for a future 9/11 terrorist attack, Hurricane Katrina or COVID-19 pandemic

•The administration also has failed to improve government efficiency, even though that was the stated motivation, and notably, government spending increased between fiscal 2024 and 2025

Other scrutiny of the savings claims:

•A Washington Post screenshot circulating reports that the Government Accountability Office found major errors in the Department of Government Efficiency's public claims, that DOGE consistently overstated its savings and could not substantiate large portions of its numbers. GAO independently examined $110 billion of the claimed $215 billion and found it riddled with problems.

A fact-check summary noted the record shows clear activity and selective successes — including a major legislative package, administration-reported deportation figures, and large drug seizures — but a government shutdown and allegations of politicized use of federal agencies create substantial counter-evidence about governance quality and administrative norms, and that it lacks independent, comprehensive assessments needed to conclude definitively that the country is overall “improved” since 2025.

Public Opinion is Split

Less than a month into Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the American public was evenly divided: 41% say Trump’s administration will improve the way the federal government works, and 42% say it will make things worse.

Polling through 2025-2026 has generally shown approval in the high 30s to mid-40s, with disapproval higher, indicating no public consensus that government is broadly improved.

Bottom Line

•If measured by border enforcement metrics, workforce size reduction, deregulation and claimed cost savings, supporters see improvement.

•If measured by service delivery continuity, workforce capacity, transparency, spending levels, and independent verification of savings, critics see decline.

There is no independent, comprehensive assessment that definitively establishes net improvement across all functions of government.

Citations (3)

1whitehouse.govGovernment
President Trump Delivers Historic Results for the American People in Under Two Years
Backs: “Whether Donald Trump is improving the US government depends on the metric used and political perspective. Views are sharply divided: What the Administration Claims. The White House describes the second Trump term as "the most consequential stretch of governing in modern American history", claiming:”
2govexec.comNews and mediaquality 0.87
‘Harder days ahead in 2026’: Good government group predicts increased political interference in the civil service in Trump’s second year
Backs: “Administration supporters frame these as making government leaner, more efficient and focused on core priorities. What Independent and Nonpartisan Assessments Say. On the first anniversary of President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, the Partnership for Public Service released a report assessing the impacts of his…”
3factually.coLow provenance
has the trump administration improved anything in the ...
Backs: “GAO independently examined $110 billion of the claimed $215 billion and found it riddled with problems. A fact-check summary noted the record shows clear activity and selective successes — including a major legislative package, administration-reported deportation figures, and large drug seizures — but a government…”