Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

Short answer: It depends on what “improve” means to you. Since Donald J. Trump returned to office on January 20, 2025, there have been measurable changes—some supporters call them improvements, while many analysts and critics see significant risks or setbacks. As of October 10, 2026, here are the clearest, sourced takeaways:

•How the federal government is run

•Trump signed Executive Order 14171 on January 20, 2025, reviving and renaming “Schedule F” as “Schedule Policy/Career,” and OPM has issued implementing guidance and rules. Backers say this boosts accountability and speed; opponents warn it weakens merit protections and invites politicization.[1]

•The White House created “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) teams to drive deregulation, workforce changes, and contract reviews. GAO has flagged data‑protection and oversight issues tied to these teams and reported that projected savings from some contract terminations at DHS will not fully materialize.[2]

•Leadership and staffing

•Independent trackers report an unusually fast expansion of non‑Senate‑confirmed political appointees and elevated turnover among political hires—patterns associated in past research with weaker program performance.[3]

•Policy outcomes often cited as “improvements” (noting that causation is debated)

•Crime: FBI data show a historically large drop in violent crime in 2025 compared with 2024.[4]

•Border: CBP’s own dashboards show encounters fell sharply through 2025 and into 2026 compared with late‑2024 peaks.[5]

•Fiscal picture and public trust

•CBO projects a roughly $1.9 trillion federal deficit in FY2026—elevated by historical standards—so there’s no clear improvement in fiscal sustainability.[6]

•Public trust in the federal government remained near historic lows into late 2025.[7]

Bottom line: If “improving the government” means streamlining the civil service and cutting rules, supporters will point to Schedule Policy/Career, DOGE, and deregulatory moves as successes. If it means safeguarding a nonpartisan career workforce, strengthening oversight, boosting long‑term fiscal health, or increasing public trust, the evidence to date is mixed to negative.

If you tell me which aspects matter most to you (e.g., workforce professionalism, service delivery speed, rule of law, budgets, crime, border), I can dig deeper on those metrics.[8]

Citations (8)

1thefederalregister.orgLow provenance
Restoring Accountability to Policy-Influencing Positions Within the Federal Workforce | 90 FR 8625
Backs: “Backers say this boosts accountability and speed; opponents warn it weakens merit protections and invites politicization.”
2gao.govGovernment
Department of Government Efficiency: Treasury Needs to Fully Implement Data Protection Controls | U.S. GAO
Backs: “GAO has flagged data‑protection and oversight issues tied to these teams and reported that projected savings from some contract terminations at DHS will not fully materialize.”
3ourpublicservice.orgNonprofits and think tanks
The Politicization of Federal Leadership: Record Non-Senate Confirmed Presidential Appointments and the Hollowing Out of Career Leadership - Partnership for Public Service
Backs: “Independent trackers report an unusually fast expansion of non‑Senate‑confirmed political appointees and elevated turnover among political hires—patterns associated in past research with weaker program performance.”
4fbi.govGovernment
FBI Releases 2025 Reported Crimes in the Nation Statistics — FBI
Backs: “FBI data show a historically large drop in violent crime in 2025 compared with 2024.”
5cbp.govGovernment
CBP Releases May 2025 Monthly Update | U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Backs: “CBP’s own dashboards show encounters fell sharply through 2025 and into 2026 compared with late‑2024 peaks.”
6cbo.govGovernment
The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2026 to 2036 | Congressional Budget Office
Backs: “CBO projects a roughly $1.9 trillion federal deficit in FY2026—elevated by historical standards—so there’s no clear improvement in fiscal sustainability.”
7pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Public Trust in Government: 1958-2025 | Pew Research Center
Backs: “Public trust in the federal government remained near historic lows into late 2025.”
8usa.govGovernment
Presidents, vice presidents, and first ladies | USAGov
Backs: “If you tell me which aspects matter most to you (e.g., workforce professionalism, service delivery speed, rule of law, budgets, crime, border), I can dig deeper on those metrics.”