Trump's government reforms are contested — I'll gather recent data to assess whether they're improving performance.
Whether Donald Trump is improving the U.S. government depends on how "improvement" is defined - supporters point to efficiency, deregulation and workforce reduction, while critics and government watchdogs point to disputed savings claims and service impacts.
Claims by the Trump Administration That Government Is Improving
The White House describes the period as the most consequential stretch of governing in modern history.
Key claims include:
•Government efficiency savings: The Administration says its government efficiency reforms have already saved an estimated $215 billion — about $1,335 per taxpayer
•Federal workforce reduction: The Administration claims it shrunk the federal bureaucracy by 10% in 2025 and shrunk the federal workforce to its lowest level since 1966
•Deregulation: The Administration revoked the Obama-era Endangerment Finding — described as the single-largest deregulatory action worth $1.3 trillion, with a government-wide deregulatory mandate projected to save the U.S. economy $1.5 trillion in FY2026 alone. The 2026 Regulatory Plan identifies 702 existing rules slated for elimination.
•Other stated improvements: In its messaging the Administration also cites: veterans benefits backlog dropped by 74%, in-office work increased 30% in Q2 2025, and creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to improve productivity and eliminate redundant processes.
Independent data confirms the workforce shrinkage:
•The federal government has reduced its workforce by 300,000 jobs since Jan. 20, 2025, bringing it down to a still-bulky 2.7 million employees
•Federal government employment is down by 271,000, a reduction of around 10% to reach the lowest level in more than 10 years
•Approximately 317,000 federal employees are expected to exit government service this year, with more than 90 percent leaving through voluntary programs
•As of August, just 2.67 million people were employed by the federal government, down from just over 3 million when President Donald Trump took office, marking the lowest headcount since 1966
Supporters view this as a win for taxpayers and responsible stewardship, arguing that cutting nearly 10 percent of federal positions in a single year is a noteworthy accomplishment and sends a message that government should serve the people, not endlessly absorb their resources.
Criticisms and Watchdog Findings That Challenge Improvement Claims
•DOGE savings disputed: The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a short-lived initiative launched by Elon Musk during President Trump's administration, has officially concluded its operations. Initially, DOGE aimed to eliminate $2 trillion in perceived waste, fraud, and abuse, however the target was later reduced to $150 billion, and by the time of its dissolution, DOGE claimed to have saved $215 billion. Experts have questioned these savings, with some concluding that DOGE actually cost the government money.
•GAO audit: A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found DOGE's claimed $110 billion in savings unsupported, and that DOGE refused to cooperate with the investigation. The GAO found its claim of $110 billion in taxpayer savings was vastly inflated and unreliable.
•Specific errors: Of the 13,476 contracts DOGE claims to have terminated, 2,503 show no termination action, and lease savings are overstated by $59.5 million. One example cited: DOGE claimed it saved $1.7 billion on a Pentagon health contract, but the contract was never canceled and taxpayers didn't save any money.
•Cost to shrink government: The Trump administration spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave for federal workers as part of its plan to shrink the government, a sixfold increase compared to 2023.
•DOGE status: The Office of Personnel Management confirmed DOGE is no longer a "centralized entity" signals the official end of an agency that promised sweeping reform but delivered questionable results.
Other policy areas have drawn criticism as not improving government services, such as the May 1, 2025 termination of the VA's VASP home loan rescue program which had helped more than 30,000 veterans stabilize housing, with reporting linking the cancellation to a subsequent foreclosure wave among veterans.
Public Opinion on Performance
Polls through late 2025-early 2026 show declining approval:
•39% of Americans strongly or somewhat approve of Trump's job performance in the December 20-22, 2025 Economist/YouGov Poll
•An average 43.4% approval and 53.3% disapproval among several national polls in the final days of 2025
•Gallup reported Trump's approval slipped to 36% in late November 2025, a new second-term low
•Pew noted approval among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents fell from 84% in February 2025 to 69%
How to Evaluate
Analysts generally evaluate "improving government" on several competing metrics:
1.Size and cost: If the goal is smaller, cheaper government, the workforce cuts and deregulation agenda represent measurable change toward that definition.
2.Verifiable savings and service delivery: If the goal is proven fiscal savings and maintained services, GAO findings that less than 40% of savings were broken down into individual items and methodology overstated savings raise questions.
3.Trust and satisfaction: Polling suggests a majority of Americans did not view the changes as an overall improvement in 2025.
No independent consensus exists that the government is unambiguously more effective or less effective across all functions - assessments vary by ideology, which metrics are prioritized, and whether claimed savings are accepted as verified.