Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

This broad question has many possible angles — I'll gather recent data on government performance to give you a balanced answer.

Whether Donald Trump is "improving" the U.S. government is disputed and depends on what metrics are used to define improvement. Polling, economic data, and policy outcomes show mixed results:

How the Administration Describes Its Performance

President Trump said before leaving the White House for Texas, "In government work, in economic terms, in all aspects, I give us an A+".

The administration points to several areas:

1. Border Security and Immigration:

2. Government Efficiency and Deregulation:
On inauguration day, 20 January 2025, President Trump established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), launching a dramatic transformation of federal workforce management. The initiative was intended to reduce federal spending and streamline government operations.

The initiative included an executive order on Feb 19 to "commence the deconstruction of the overbearing and burdensome administrative state" and to create a "centralized technological system" to record contracts.

Supporters argue it reduced the workforce. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) said the reduction of 270,000 employees provides "$40 billion per year savings in taxpayer dollars" and described it as a "400% return on investment".

Reports in late 2025 noted "The Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, has quietly ceased operations just eight months into what was supposed to be a nearly two-year mandate."

3. Other Indicators Cited:

What Polling and Critical Assessments Show

1. Approval Ratings:
Polling indicates low approval by historical standards:

2. Economic Performance:
FactCheck.org's April 2026 update found:

3. Cost of Workforce Reduction:
A Government Accountability Office report estimated "The Trump administration last year spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave for federal workers as part of its plan to shrink the government and save taxpayers money", which "represented a sixfold increase in paid leave salary costs compared to 2023".

Critics described it as waste, with Sen. Patty Murray saying "After promising to cut waste, Trump instead set billions upon billions in taxpayer dollars on fire to quite literally pay people not to do jobs they loved".

Summary

Supporters argue improvement is shown in border enforcement, reduced illegal crossings, trade deficit reduction, and efforts to shrink the federal workforce and deregulate. Critics point to lower approval ratings even among Republicans, slower job growth, increased national debt, higher administrative leave costs, and record-low consumer sentiment as signs the government is not improved.

Whether those changes constitute an overall improvement depends on which priorities — such as border security, fiscal efficiency, economic growth, or public trust — are weighted most heavily.