Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

Is the U.S. government improving under Trump? I'll take a balanced look at the reforms claimed and the criticisms — with the latest data.

Whether Donald Trump is improving the U.S. government depends on how "improvement" is measured, and evaluations are sharply divided along partisan and policy lines.

Arguments and claims that the government is improving

The Trump Administration in its second term (2025-2026) has framed its agenda as government efficiency, deregulation, and reducing waste:

•The administration has announced a sweeping regulatory agenda aimed at eliminating 702 existing administrative rules, described as a record for the number of deregulatory actions in a single term. The plan is projected to save the economy $1.5 trillion by the end of September 2026. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs released a 2026 regulatory plan which covered 702 deregulatory actions, an increase from 482 in the 2025 plan.

•President Trump established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to maximize government productivity and ensure the best use of taxpayer funds — which has already achieved billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. The administration says it immediately undertook an effort to downsize the federal government by ending waste, fraud and abuse.

•The White House claims its government efficiency reforms have already saved an estimated $215 billion — about $1,335 per taxpayer — and shrunk the federal workforce to its lowest level since 1966.

•The General Services Administration (GSA) announced it has driven more than $60 billion in federal contract savings since January 2025, as part of the push to shrink the federal real estate footprint in the era of DOGE. Over the past year, the agency disposed of 90 federal properties, cutting more than 3 million square feet from its portfolio and avoiding an estimated $415 million in repairs and operating costs.

•GSA also completed a rewrite of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), cutting roughly one-quarter of the FAR, eliminating 484 pages and 230,000 words, while removing more than 2,700 "shall" and "must" mandates.

Supporters point to these actions, plus other White House-listed accomplishments such as securing the border, reducing violent crime, increasing energy production, and modernizing technology and payment systems, as evidence of improvement.

Criticisms and concerns

Critics and legal challenges argue the changes have harmed government function:

•Federal employee unions have filed lawsuits claiming Trump's "workforce optimization initiative" executive order and "deferred resignation" program are illegal, saying they violate the Administrative Procedure Act and separation of powers principles. The lawsuit claims the mass firing of hundreds of thousands of employees was aimed at decimating the federal civilian workforce.

•Courts have temporarily blocked some efforts. A U.S. District Judge ordered the Trump administration to reinstate thousands of federal workers who were terminated as part of the reduction effort. Another judge issued a temporary restraining order directing numerous federal agencies to halt acting on the president's workforce executive order signed in February.

•On the economy, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that tariffs imposed by Donald Trump will increase the average annual inflation rate by 0.4 percentage points in 2025 and 2026 and reduce annual GDP growth by 0.06 percentage points.

•Other economic analyses note the economy grew at a 2.8% pace during Biden's last year, compared with 2.2% under Trump in 2025, and that inflation has since been stuck at close to 3%, leaving it well above the Federal Reserve's 2% target.

Public opinion

Polling shows a divided public:

•One national survey found 29% of Americans say they approve of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president, 68% disapprove.

•Summary of polling during the second presidency notes that throughout 2025 to 2026, Trump's approval rating has steadily declined to an average of 37 to 40%.

•AP-NORC trend data showed 33% of U.S. adults approving of Trump's overall job performance and 66% disapproving, and aggregated trackers report Trump's approval ranging from 28% to 39% with most surveys in the low-to-mid 30s as of September 2026.

Conclusion

Supporters measure improvement by smaller workforce, fewer regulations, contract savings, and stronger enforcement on border and crime issues. Critics measure it by legal constraints, continuity of services, economic growth and inflation effects, and institutional stability.

No single objective metric determines whether government as a whole is "improved" — evaluations depend on which outcomes (efficiency, cost savings, deregulation vs. service capacity, legal process, and economic performance) a person prioritizes.

Citations (3)

1whitehouse.govGovernment
President Trump is Making Government Work for You Again
Backs: “The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs released a 2026 regulatory plan which covered 702 deregulatory actions, an increase from 482 in the 2025 plan. President Trump established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to maximize government productivity and ensure the best use of taxpayer funds —…”
2whitehouse.govGovernment
President Trump Delivers Historic Results for the American People in Under Two Years
Backs: “President Trump established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to maximize government productivity and ensure the best use of taxpayer funds — which has already achieved billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. The administration says it immediately undertook an effort to downsize the federal…”
3ustimesmirror.comNot yet classified
DOGE era overhaul: GSA touts $60B in savings as Trump shrinks gov't footprint: 'Results speak for themselves' | US Times Mirror
Backs: “The White House claims its government efficiency reforms have already saved an estimated $215 billion — about $1,335 per taxpayer — and shrunk the federal workforce to its lowest level since 1966. The General Services Administration (GSA) announced it has driven more than $60 billion in federal contract savings since…”