I'll examine recent data on the U.S. economy, policy outcomes, and public opinion to assess how Americans are faring.
Whether Donald Trump's second term is improving lives depends on which indicators and which groups are considered. Evidence from early-to-mid 2026 is mixed:
Economy and Cost of Living
Administration claims:
•The White House states inflation has dropped to an average of 2.7% in Trump's second term, with core inflation "lower than it was at any time during the last three years of the Biden Administration".
•The administration also states gas prices have fallen to the lowest average price in 1,741 days and that Americans' real wages are on track to grow by more than $1,000 after his first full year in office.
•The administration points to 51 all-time record highs for the stock market since the election.
Independent / other data:
•FactCheck.org reported for the period through March 2026: Job growth slowed, with a total of 369,000 jobs created as of March. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.3%.
•The same update found average weekly earnings of private-sector workers, adjusted for inflation, rose 1.0%, the economy grew 2.1% in 2025, and consumer sentiment has now hit a record low.
•Other analyses note inflation remained above the Federal Reserve's 2% target throughout 2025, with two studies attributing 0.7 and 0.5 percentage points to tariff policies on the CPI and PCE respectively. One independent summary noted inflation from June to August ranged from 2.7 to 2.9 percent.
•The stock market fell dramatically after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, then rebounded and reached new heights.
•The trade deficit dropped 14% for the most recent 12 months and oil production went up 2.7%. The federal debt held by the public rose about 8.6%.
Immigration and Border Security
•FactCheck.org reported the number of apprehensions at the U.S. border with Mexico decreased about 92%.
•The White House and administration statements describe this as the strongest border in history with illegal crossings plummeting.
Crime and Other Social Indicators
•The number of murders nationwide has continued to decline, a trend that began in 2022.
•The percentage of the population lacking health insurance held steady in the first six months of 2025.
•About 3 million fewer people are receiving federal food assistance.
Public Opinion
Polling suggests many Americans are not feeling improvement on economic issues:
•An AP-NORC poll found 26% approve of his handling of the economy overall, marking a 14 percentage point drop from March 2025.
•Only about 3 in 10 Americans approve of how Trump is handling his job as president overall.
•An average of polls in late 2025 put Trump at 43.4% approval and 53.3% disapproval, for a net approval of -9.9.
Summary
Supporters point to lower average inflation compared to the 2021-2022 peak, lower gas prices, real wage gains, stock market highs, and sharply reduced border crossings as evidence lives are improving.
Critics point to slower job growth, higher unemployment than at the start of the term, tariff-related price pressures, record-low consumer sentiment, and low economic approval ratings as evidence many Americans are not feeling better off.
Evaluations often differ based on which metrics are prioritized and political perspective.