Searching for recent assessments of Trump's government reforms to give you a balanced answer.
Whether Donald Trump is improving the U.S. government depends on which metrics you prioritize. There are arguments and data cited on both sides:
What supporters point to as improvements
The White House describes the first less than two years of the second term as the most consequential stretch of governing in modern history, citing:
•Border and immigration enforcement: The administration says it ended "catch-and-release" and has not released a single illegal alien into the country for 15 straight months, and recorded negative net migration in 2025.
•Workforce and efficiency reforms: The administration says 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. It created the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to modernize federal technology and improve efficiency and productivity.
•Deregulation: The White House says its government-wide deregulatory mandate is projected to save the U.S. economy $1.5 trillion in FY2026 alone. Other tracking found 75 deregulatory rules with combined total savings of $1.2 trillion against 14 regulatory rules in 2026, for $1.3 trillion in total cost reductions under Executive Order 14192. A separate agenda calls for eliminating 702 existing administrative rules, projected to save $1.5 trillion by September 2026.
•Other claimed results: Record domestic oil and gas production, crime reductions, manufacturing expansion, and other policy changes are listed as historic results.
Supporters argue these steps cut red tape, reduced the size of government, secured the border, and made government more focused on merit and performance. A memo from the Office of Management and Budget outlined plans to cut jobs, close offices and use artificial intelligence to make government more efficient.
What critics and watchdogs point to
•Verified savings disputed: Independent analysts argue the $215 billion figure was significantly inflated, relying on accounting methods that did not translate into real reductions. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found the Department of Government Efficiency claimed tens of billions of dollars in savings on its "Wall of Receipts," but it could not be substantiated.
•GAO also found $110 billion of DOGE's claimed savings could not be verified, and in one DHS review, contract terminations yielded a net of $92 million — much less than the $10.5 billion in potential savings publicly reported.
•Costs of workforce changes: One analysis estimated federal employees were paid $9.5 billion not to work during 2025, in large part because of efforts to shrink the federal workforce. Critics argued this offset savings.
•Service and institutional concerns: A Brookings Institution review cited in coverage indicated overall savings have been minimal and offset by degradation of services in federal agencies. GAO also flagged that Treasury missed security controls in giving DOGE system access and that DOGE associates may have improperly accessed sensitive Social Security Administration data.
•Politicization and shutdown: During the federal government shutdown that began September 30, 2025, agency homepages including the FDA displayed partisan messaging blaming one party while crediting President Trump, which was criticized as misuse of official government resources for partisan purposes. Similar criticism was made about TSA checkpoints displaying political messaging. Polling in October 2025 consistently showed a plurality or majority blaming Republicans, particularly President Trump, for the shutdown.
Public and independent assessment
Polling shows divided public views:
•Some polls in September 2026 showed approval in the low-to-mid 30s or as low as 28%, with disapproval near 58%.
•A July 2026 Pew Research Center poll found Trump's overall approval at only 34 percent, while a CNN poll found 73 percent said Trump has not paid enough attention to the nation's most important problems.
•Pew also reported that six months into his term, far more say President Trump is making the way the federal government works worse than making it better. Other polling in August 2025 showed 48% approving of DOGE's efforts, with 52% expressing concerns over potential impacts on government services.
Independent comprehensive assessments are still evolving. As one analysis summarized, the current record shows clear activity and selective successes, but lacks independent, comprehensive assessments needed to conclude definitively that the country is overall "improved" since 2025.
In short, if you measure improvement by workforce reduction, deregulation, and border enforcement metrics, the administration cites substantial savings and structural changes. If you measure it by verified budget savings, service continuity, institutional norms, and public approval of government functioning, watchdogs and polls show more mixed or negative assessments.