Is Donald Trump improving the lives of Americans?

Is Trump's record improving Americans' lives? I'll pull the latest data on economy, policy, and public opinion to give you a balanced look.

Whether Donald Trump's second term is improving Americans' lives depends on the metric used, and recent data and polling show mixed results.

Administration's stated accomplishments

The White House describes the period since January 2025 as "the most consequential stretch of governing in modern American history", listing among its priorities sealing the border, driving violent crime to historic lows, and cutting taxes for working families.

On those issues the administration claims:

•Border/Immigration: Ended "catch-and-release", recorded negative net migration in 2025 for first time in at least half a century

•Crime: Murder rate fell to historic low in 2025 — the lowest level in 125 years — after the largest annual drop in violent crime in American history, with preliminary 2026 data showing violent crime down another 10%

•Economy for working Americans: Engineered a "blue-collar boom with lower taxes, more factories, trillions in new investment, and fair trade", including signing the Working Families Tax Cuts delivering No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime and No Tax on Social Security, delivering the biggest tax refund season on record with 97% of filers receiving a tax cut, and securing more than $11 trillion in new U.S. investment

•Deregulation and savings: The regulatory plan states its North Star is "improving the lives of Americans", with deregulatory efforts yielding $211.8 billion in cost savings in FY2025.

Independent economic indicators

A non-partisan FactCheck.org October 2026 update, which says it makes no judgment on how much credit or blame the president should receive, reported for Trump's second term so far:

•Job growth became sluggish, with only 776,000 jobs created. The unemployment rate edged up to 4.2%, still historically low

•Inflation worsened. Consumer prices are up 5.4%. Gasoline is up 38%

•Wages just barely rose faster than inflation, as measured since Trump was sworn in. But they've decreased this year

•Economy grew 2.2% in the second quarter, continuing a steady rate of growth

•Consumer sentiment remains low

•Home prices increased 6.2%

•The S&P 500 went up 28.6%

•The violent crime and murder rates in 2025 continued to decline, dropping by the largest percentages since the FBI began collecting nationwide data in 1936

•Median household income rose in 2025, while the official poverty rate declined

Public opinion polling

Polls in late 2025 and October 2026 show majority dissatisfaction with economic conditions:

•Americans are deeply frustrated with Trump's handling of the economy and rising prices, with most panning his performance and blaming his policies. A majority, 65%, of U.S. adults now blame Trump's policies for persistently high costs more than factors outside of his control

•Only 17% of US adults approve of Trump's handling of the cost of living, while just 26% approve of his handling of the economy, marking a new low

•An ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll in October 2026 found 75% describing the nation's economy as poor or not so good and 25% describing it as excellent or good. In addition, a plurality of Americans (48%) say they are not as well off financially as they were when President Donald Trump became president in January 2025 (15% better off, 36% about the same)

•The same poll found Americans more likely to trust Democrats than Republicans on the economy (37% trust Democrats, 28% trust Republicans) and the cost of living (38%, 24%)

In summary, the administration points to border security, record-low violent crime, tax cuts, deregulation, and investment as improving lives, while independent economic data shows steady GDP growth, rising stocks and lower poverty but also sluggish job creation and higher prices, and polls indicate most Americans currently say they do not feel better off financially.

Citations (3)

1whitehouse.govGovernment
President Trump Delivers Historic Results for the American People in Under Two Years
Backs: “Whether Donald Trump's second term is improving Americans' lives depends on the metric used, and recent data and polling show mixed results. Administration's stated accomplishments”
2factcheck.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Trump's Numbers, October 2026 Update - FactCheck.org
Backs: “A non-partisan FactCheck.org October 2026 update, which says it makes no judgment on how much credit or blame the president should receive, reported for Trump's second term so far:”
3ipsos.comCompanies
Democrats more trusted than Republicans on economic issues
Backs: “Only 17% of US adults approve of Trump's handling of the cost of living, while just 26% approve of his handling of the economy, marking a new low. An ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll in October 2026 found 75% describing the nation's economy as poor or not so good and 25% describing it as excellent or good.”