Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

Is Trump improving the government? I'll survey recent performance data and diverse perspectives to give you a balanced answer.

Whether Donald Trump is improving the U.S. government depends on how "improving" is measured and political perspective. Polls and evaluations of his second term show sharply divided assessments.

What the Administration Says It Has Improved

The White House describes the period since January 2025 as "the most consequential stretch of governing in modern American history", claiming President Trump:

•"sealed the border, drove violent crime to historic lows, unleashed American energy, cut taxes for working families"

•On crime: "The U.S. murder rate fell to a historic low in 2025 — the lowest level in 125 years"

•On economy and government efficiency: "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"

•On border: ended "catch-and-release" and recorded negative net migration in 2025, and cut taxes, launched deregulation projected to save $1.5 trillion in FY2026

Supporters also point to White House claims of energy production records, trade deals, and military recruiting at 103% of goals in 2025.

What Polls and Independent Assessments Show

Public opinion polling in 2025-2026 shows low job approval for Trump:

•His "national job approval stands at just 39.6% compared to a disapproval rating of 57.0% — a net negative of 17.4%"

•Pew Research found "Trump's approval rating stands at 37%, down from 40% in the fall", and in a July 2026 survey "President Donald Trump's job approval rating – 34% as of mid-July"

•Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll put approval at 42%, with highest marks on immigration (48%) and fighting crime (47%), and lowest on "handling inflation (34%), the economy (37%)"

Trust in the federal government remains low:

•"only 27% of the public say they trust the federal government while 72% say it is 'corrupt' and 75% say that it is 'wasteful.' Just 37% believe the impact of the federal government on the country is positive"

•The perception that government is wasteful is "the same number as in 2021" at 75%, and actually "greater now than it was one year ago" when it was 61%

A Partnership for Public Service report said "The crisis of confidence has been exacerbated during the last two years by haphazard actions taken by the Trump administration including indiscriminate funding cuts, workforce reductions and unilateral actions bypassing Congress"

On government efficiency:

•The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), created by executive order on January 20, 2025 to "modernize federal technology and cut waste", "has quietly shut down with eight months left on its mandate" according to reporting in late 2025, and is "no longer a 'centralized entity'"

•The Government Accountability Office estimated "The Trump administration spent $9.5 billion in 2025 paying federal employees who were not working" as part of the workforce reduction effort, a "sixfold increase from 2023"

On economic performance:

•GDP growth was "2.8% pace during Biden's last year, compared with 2.2% under Trump in 2025"

•Inflation as measured by personal consumption expenditures "was 2.6% in both 2024 and 2025"

•The unemployment rate "was relatively stable in 2025, edging up 0.2 percentage point from the first full month of the Trump Administration in February 2025 to a rate of 4.4 percent in December 2025"

Views are heavily influenced by partisanship. Partnership data shows when Trump took office, "Republicans are now more likely to say they trust the government than Democrats at 42% vs 17%", a reversal from the Biden administration.

In short, supporters credit the administration with securing the border, reducing crime, cutting regulations and the federal workforce, and boosting energy production. Critics and recent polls point to historically low approval ratings, persistently low trust in government, increased perceptions of wastefulness, the early closure of DOGE, and economic growth that has not exceeded the prior year.

Citations (3)

1whitehouse.govGovernment
President Trump Delivers Historic Results for the American People in Under Two Years
Backs: “government depends on how "improving" is measured and political perspective. Polls and evaluations of his second term show sharply divided assessments. What the Administration Says It Has Improved. The White House describes the period since January 2025 as "the most consequential stretch of governing in modern…”
2ourpublicservice.orgNonprofits and think tanks
The State of Public Trust in Government 2026
Backs: “Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll put approval at 42%, with highest marks on immigration (48%) and fighting crime (47%), and lowest on "handling inflation (34%), the economy (37%)". Trust in the federal government remains low: "only 27% of the public say they trust the federal government while 72% say it is 'corrupt' and 75%…”
3tippinsights.comNot yet classified
Trump’s Government Efficiency Department Ends Early After Turbulent Run
Backs: “The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), created by executive order on January 20, 2025 to "modernize federal technology and cut waste", "has quietly shut down with eight months left on its mandate" according to reporting in late 2025, and is "no longer a 'centralized entity'"”