Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

Is Trump improving the U.S. government? I'll gather recent performance data and reforms to give you a balanced answer.

Whether Donald Trump is improving the U.S. government depends on which metrics are prioritized. The answer is contested, with administration data and outside evaluations pointing in different directions.

Claims of Improvement by the Administration and Supporters

The White House describes the period since January 2025 as the most consequential stretch of governing in modern history, citing:

Border and immigration: The administration says it ended "catch-and-release" and has not released a single illegal alien into the country for 15 straight months, recorded negative net migration in 2025 for the first time in at least half a century, and that more than three million migrants have left the country with the illegal alien population down by at least 2.3 million. It also claims fentanyl trafficking at the southern border collapsed 56% and fentanyl-linked deaths plunged 22% in a single year.

Crime: The White House states the U.S. murder rate fell to a historic low in 2025 — the lowest level in 125 years — after the largest annual drop in violent crime in American history, and that preliminary data show violent crime down another 10%, murders down another 23%, and rapes down another 18.6% in the first half of 2026.

Economy and deregulation: The administration claims it is the first President in modern history to actually lower prescription drug prices — delivering the biggest drop in 63 years, created more than one million private sector jobs in the second term, and secured more than $11 trillion in new U.S. investment. It projects its government-wide deregulatory mandate will save the U.S. economy $1.5 trillion in FY2026 alone.

Government efficiency:

The stated goal of DOGE was to cut the federal workforce and improve government efficiency, with a focus on driving performance and tying contractor incentives to outcomes.

Criticism and Mixed Evidence

Independent analyses and polls present a more mixed or negative picture:

Savings claims disputed: The initial DOGE target of $2 trillion was later reduced to $150 billion, and by dissolution DOGE claimed $215 billion saved. However, nearly half of the money DOGE claimed in canceled contracts — $27.4 billion — couldn't be verified. DOGE has been disbanded with eight months left to its mandate.

Cost of workforce cuts: The Government Accountability Office found the Trump administration spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave for federal workers in 2025 as part of its plan to shrink the government, a sixfold increase from 2023, with $6.7 billion attributed to the Deferred Resignation Program. One analysis estimated federal workforce cuts have cost $71 billion, describing the approach as haphazard and inflicting significant economic damage.

Fiscal trajectory: Outside summaries note the administration increased nominal federal outlays while structurally worsening the fiscal trajectory, with large tax cuts and executive maneuvers raising long-run deficits despite a slight reduction in the headline deficit in 2025 from tariffs. The federal government has actually increased spending by $84 billion since the administration took office despite claims of savings.

Public perception of efficiency:

Approval polling:

Independent summaries note the answer depends on which indicators one privileges: enforcement and corporate profits rose under Trump's early term, while job creation and some measures of household well-being were stronger under the prior administration according to multiple analyses.

In short, supporters point to border security, crime reduction, deregulation, and claimed cost savings as evidence of improvement, while critics point to disputed savings figures, increased administrative costs, higher federal spending, service disruptions, and majority public disapproval of the efficiency efforts as evidence it has not improved.