Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

I'll gather recent assessments of how the Trump administration is reshaping the federal government.

Whether Donald Trump is improving the U.S. government is disputed and depends on which metrics you use. There are claims of major efficiency gains and criticisms that the gains are overstated or come with high costs.

What the Administration Points To as Improvements

The White House describes the period as the "most consequential stretch of governing in modern American history" in under two years.

Specific reforms cited:

•Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE): Created by executive order on January 20, 2025, tasked with "improving productivity and eliminating redundant processes across federal agencies" and ensuring taxpayer resources are used effectively. It is part of a broader directive to cut jobs, close offices and use artificial intelligence to make the government more efficient.

•Reported savings and workforce reduction: 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. Other reporting notes the federal workforce shrank by 12% from September 2024 to January 2026 as the administration pursued downsizing, with the Pentagon workforce shrinking by roughly 10.7% during DOGE implementation.

•Deregulation: The government-wide deregulatory mandate is projected to save the U.S. economy $1.5 trillion in FY2026 alone, including revoking the Obama-era Endangerment Finding described as worth $1.3 trillion.

•Service modernization: In September 2026 the administration launched America.gov, described as a "single digital point of entry for Americans to access Federal government information or services online" that is "secure, intelligent, and service-oriented" where individuals can "receive accurate answers, and, where authorized... complete government transactions without having to navigate multiple Federal agencies' websites". Other claimed service improvements include the backlog of veterans waiting for benefits has dropped by 74% and reforms to eliminate waste, reduce bureaucracy, and restore accountability.

What Watchdogs and Critics Point To

•Costs of workforce cuts: A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found the administration allocated $9.5 billion for paid administrative leave for federal employees in 2025, marking a sixfold increase from 2023 due to the DOGE buyout initiative, with administrative leave expenses up 435% between 2023 and 2025, with $6.7 billion attributed to the Deferred Resignation Program.

•Overstated savings: A U.S. government watchdog says DOGE "falls well short of its promised cuts and overstates the savings it publicly reports" across contract, grant and lease reductions. Some reports found DOGE "consistently overestimated the amount of its cost-cutting efforts". Despite an initial promise of $2 trillion, DOGE claimed $215 billion, and experts have questioned these savings, with some concluding that DOGE actually cost the government money.

•Legal and operational disruption: The initiative drew lawsuits questioning whether it exceeded executive authority. Analysis of prior shutdowns during Trump presidencies noted they "disrupted critical services, including air traffic control training, public health research, and economic data reporting, while eroding trust in government stability".

Public Opinion

Presidential approval ratings are often used as a proxy for public views on government performance, but are highly partisan:

•Pew Research Center reported Trump's job approval at 34% as of mid-July, lower than at a comparable point in his first term (40% in August 2018).

•In August 2025, his approval stood at 38%, with 60% disapproving.

•Gallup reported in November 2025 that Trump's approval had slipped to 36%, a new second-term low approaching his all-time low of 34%.

•The decline during the second term has primarily come from Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, from 84% in February 2025 to 69% later, while Democratic approval fell from 10% to 6%.

Supporters tend to view the cuts, deregulation, and digital modernization as making government smaller, less wasteful and more responsive. Opponents tend to view the same actions as reducing essential services, increasing short-term costs, and overstating long-term savings.

In short, the administration points to measurable reductions in workforce size, regulatory burden, and service backlogs as evidence of improvement, while independent audits and polling data suggest costs, disputed savings figures, and low public approval.

Citations (3)

1whitehouse.govGovernment
President Trump Delivers Historic Results for the American People in Under Two Years
Backs: “There are claims of major efficiency gains and criticisms that the gains are overstated or come with high costs. What the Administration Points To as Improvements. The White House describes the period as the "most consequential stretch of governing in modern American history" in under two years.”
2whitehouse.govGovernment
Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Streamlines Access to Government Services Through America.gov
Backs: “economy $1.5 trillion in FY2026 alone, including revoking the Obama-era Endangerment Finding described as worth $1.3 trillion. Service modernization: In September 2026 the administration launched America.gov, described as a "single digital point of entry for Americans to access Federal government information or…”
3pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Trump’s job approval rating is low by historical standards
Backs: “Presidential approval ratings are often used as a proxy for public views on government performance, but are highly partisan: Pew Research Center reported Trump's job approval at 34% as of mid-July, lower than at a comparable point in his first term (40% in August 2018).”