I'll gather recent data on how Americans are faring under the Trump administration — from the economy to public opinion.
Whether Donald Trump is improving the lives of Americans is disputed and depends on which measures and whose perspective is considered. Polling and economic data in 2025-2026 show mixed to negative views on average, while administration supporters point to income and tax benefits.
What polls show about public perception
•Trump's approval rating, which was 47% at the start of his second term, declined throughout 2025-2026 to an average of 36 to 37%, making him the second most unpopular president at this stage of his presidency in polling history going back to the 1940s. Other polling averages at the end of August 2026 put him at 41% approval and 56% disapproval.
•On the question "are you better off than four years ago," a September 2025 Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll of 1,500 adults found 46% of Americans say their own life is worse off than four years ago, and just 25% say it's better. When asked about conditions in the country as a whole, 58% say they are worse off and just 24% say better.
•That poll also found even among Republicans, one in four Republicans, and one in four of Trump's own 2024 voters, say their own lives are worse off than they were four years ago.
•Other reporting on consumer sentiment found the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index fell to 47.6 in April 2026, the lowest reading in the survey's 74-year history, and a CBS News poll from the same period showed 63% of Americans rated the economy as "bad" and 65% disapproved of Trump's handling of it.
•By January 2026, 53% of voters already believed the economy was worse under Trump than under Biden.
What economic data shows
Context inherited:
When Biden left office in January 2025, unemployment sat at 4.1%, the economy had grown at or above 2.5% for four consecutive years, and inflation had fallen from a peak of 9.1% in June 2022 to 2.7% by November 2024.
Since January 2025:
•Inflation came in at 3.3% year-over-year in March 2026, with core inflation at 2.6% and still above the Fed's 2% target.
•Trump's tariffs raised the effective U.S. import tax rate from roughly 2% to nearly 12% since he took office, adding structural upward pressure on prices.
•The labor market slowed: U.S. employers added just 181,000 jobs in all of 2025, the lowest annual total outside of a recession since 2003. Biden's economy was generating that figure in a single month during most of his term.
•GDP grew just 0.5% annualized in the fourth quarter of 2025, though later revisions cited by the White House put Q2 2026 GDP at 2.2%.
What supporters point to as improvements
•Supporters cite the effects of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and its extension. Under Trump tax policies, real median household income rose by $5,000, and wages went up by nearly 5 percent. Other summaries note real median household income increased by $5,000 and real wages rose by 4.9 percent in the two years after the legislation was signed.
•The legislation cut 80% of Americans' individual income tax rates and nearly doubled the standard deduction, and Americans earning under $100,000 saw an average tax cut of 16 percent.
•Administration officials and allies have also pointed to more recent short-term gains cited in 2026, such as Q2 GDP revisions and private-sector job beats, to argue the economy remains strong.
Summary
•Critics and many independent polls argue most Americans do not feel their lives have improved, citing higher prices after tariffs, a hiring freeze, low consumer sentiment, and that a plurality say they are worse off personally and as a country.
•Supporters argue tax cuts, deregulation, and higher take-home pay have improved incomes and will benefit working families over time, and that inherited inflation and external shocks like energy price surges complicate early judgments.
Because "improving lives" includes objective economic indicators, subjective well-being, and partisan values on issues like taxes, tariffs, immigration and health care, national polling currently shows a majority saying they are not better off, while a minority reports improvements.