Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

This is a subjective political question that people genuinely disagree on, so I can't give you a definitive yes/no answer. What I can do is share some of the different perspectives based on recent developments, and you can form your own judgment.This is ultimately a matter of political judgment and values, so I can't tell you definitively "yes" or "no" — but here's what the data and different sides are saying as of October 2026:

What supporters point to as improvements

The Trump administration itself touts a long list of policy wins. On immigration, the White House claims more than three million migrants have left the country in Trump's second term — the largest reduction in illegal immigration in modern history — with the illegal alien population down by at least 2.3 million, and asylum is now granted in just 7% of cases — a historic low — plummeting from over 50% rubber-stamped under Biden.

On economic policy, the administration cites more than 20 new trade deals as companies re-shore production and increase domestic capabilities, plus energy gains — U.S. crude oil production reached approximately 13.6 million barrels per day in 2025, setting a record annual level, an increase of roughly 350,000 barrels per day compared with the previous year.

What critics and data point to as problems

Independent polling tells a very different story about public perception. Trump's approval rating remained at a record low of 32%, according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll published in early October—the latest survey to show the president's approval rating below 40% leading into November's midterm elections. By Pew's measure, Trump's job approval rating – 34% as of mid-July 2026 – has changed little over the last few months, and notably it's comparable to, but modestly lower than, Joe Biden's 37% rating in the summer of 2022, with the decline primarily coming from Republicans and Republican-leaning independents: 69% approve today, down from 84% in February 2025.

On the economy specifically — often the top concern for voters — Trump's net approval on prices and inflation has fallen to -46 — the worst rating on any single issue recorded in one major tracking poll. Fact-checkers have also pushed back on some administration claims; for example, on investment figures, Trump said the U.S. had "secured a record-breaking $18 trillion in commitments for new investments," but the White House website since mid-November has shown a figure of $9.6 trillion, and experts have cautioned that some of the pledges may not come to fruition.

There are also concerns about governance norms: a recent NBC poll found Trump is judged harshly on several measures of his commitment to fundamental principles of democracy, with at least 6 in 10 people saying he is not committed to protecting freedom of the press and speech, free and fair elections, and respecting the authority of Congress or the courts.

Bottom line

Whether you see this as "improvement" depends heavily on which issues you weight most and your political priors. Supporters emphasize border security, energy production, and trade deals as concrete wins. Critics point to historically low approval ratings, affordability/inflation as a major weak spot, and governance/institutional concerns. I'd encourage looking at primary data on specific issues you care about (economy, immigration, foreign policy, rule of law) rather than relying on a single verdict, since this is fundamentally a values-based judgment rather than a factual one.