Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

Both sidesSays it is contestedSources conflict

Supportive accomplishment sources (stl.news, Substack) frame restructuring, energy and border results as improvements, while Pew, polling data and WRAL fact-checks show declining approval, ethics concerns and exaggerated claims.

This is a subjective political question that reasonable people disagree on, so I can't give you a definitive yes/no answer. But I can summarize the main arguments on each side based on current developments. Let me look up recent information to make this balanced and current.## It depends on who you ask — this is a deeply contested, subjective question

There's no objective way to measure whether the government is "improving" — it depends on your values and priorities. Here's a balanced look at both the supportive and critical cases, based on current data:

The case made by supporters

The administration points to several concrete actions it frames as reform and improvement:

•Government restructuring: By the end of February, the administration reported that more than 30,000 federal positions had been eliminated or reclassified as at-will roles, reducing union protections, which supporters argued improved efficiency while critics pointed to ongoing lawsuits filed by federal employee unions.

•Deregulation and executive action: The administration launched one of the fastest early-term executive-action blitzes in modern presidential history, issuing well over a hundred executive orders and aggressively reversing prior regulations.

•Energy and border policy: 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. On the border, federal officials reported extended periods of sharply reduced southwest border apprehensions, including 14 consecutive months with fewer than 9,000.

The case made by critics

At the same time, independent polling and fact-checks raise significant concerns:

•Declining public approval: Americans' assessments of President Trump have declined steadily over the last several months, with his job approval rating standing at 34% — the lowest mark of his second term as of spring 2026. By October 2026, Trump's approval rating sat at 36.9% approve, 60.6% disapprove, a net of -23.7.

•Erosion even among his own voters: 31% of those who voted for him in 2024 now disapprove of his performance, and Trump's approval rating among his Hispanic voters has declined 27 points since early 2025, compared with a 14-point drop among his White voters.

•Views on ethics in government: Pew's data is headlined by the finding that a majority of Americans say the level of ethics and honesty in government has fallen during Trump's term.

•Confidence in handling key issues has dropped: Confidence in Trump's economic decision-making fell from 45% in April 2025 to 35% by October 2026, and confidence in his foreign policy decisions fell from 53% right after the 2024 election to 35% by October 2026.

•Fact-check concerns: Independent fact-checkers have flagged exaggerated claims, including his statement about investment commitments — he claimed the U.S. had "secured a record-breaking $18 trillion in commitments for new investments," though the White House website itself showed a figure of $9.6 trillion.

•Concerns about executive power: Critics argue the sheer volume of executive orders reflects a broader consolidation of executive power, with "an unwillingness to place any checks on his power."

Bottom line

If you define "improvement" as cutting federal headcount, deregulating, boosting energy production, and tightening immigration enforcement, supporters would say yes, significant change has occurred. If you define it as public trust, ethical governance, institutional checks, bipartisan confidence, and accuracy in official statements, the polling and fact-check data suggest the public — including a growing share of his own voters — has become more skeptical over time.

I'd encourage you to weigh these specific policy outcomes against your own priorities rather than rely on a single yes/no verdict, since that's ultimately a value judgment rather than a factual one.

Citations (12)

1stl.newsNews and media
President Trump's Second Term Accomplishment to Present
Source excerpt: “Government Restructuring and Efficiency Initiatives By the end of February, the administration reported that **more than 30,000 federal positions** ha...”
statistic, article, points to yes. Claim: More than 30,000 federal positions were eliminated or reclassified as at-will by end of February, which supporters framed as efficiency.
2substack.comBlogs and newsletters
Donald Trump’s Second‑Term Accomplishments.
Source excerpt: “After winning the 2025 election, the administration launched one of the fastest early‑term executive‑action blitzes in modern presidential history, is...”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: The administration launched one of the fastest early-term executive-action blitzes in modern presidential history, issuing well over a hundred executive orders.
3stl.newsNews and media
Trump’s Second Term: The Data Behind the Accomplishments and the Fight Over the Narrative in 2026
Source excerpt: “U.S. crude oil production reached approximately 13.6 million barrels per day in 2025, setting a record annual level. Production increased by roughly 3...”
statistic, article, points to yes. Claim: U.S. crude oil production reached about 13.6 million barrels per day in 2025, a record, up roughly 350,000 from the prior year.
4stl.newsNews and media
Trump’s Second Term: The Data Behind the Accomplishments and the Fight Over the Narrative in 2026
Source excerpt: “Federal border officials reported extended periods of sharply reduced southwest border apprehensions, including 14 consecutive months with fewer than ...”
statistic, article, points to yes. Claim: Officials reported 14 consecutive months with fewer than 9,000 southwest border apprehensions.
5pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Trump Loses Ground on Several Personal Traits as Approval Rating Slips
Source excerpt: “Americans’ assessments of President Donald Trump have declined steadily over the last several months. His job approval rating now stands at 34% – the ...”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: Trump's job approval stands at 34%, the lowest of his second term as of spring 2026.
6uspollingdata.comData and tools
Trump Approval Rating 2026 — Monthly Tracker & Historical Comparison
Source excerpt: “Trump approval rating October 2026: 36.9% approve, 60.6% disapprove (-23.7 net). ”
statistic, data page, points to no. Claim: October 2026 approval was 36.9% approve, 60.6% disapprove, net -23.7.
7pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Trump’s Approval Rating Drops as Fewer Americans Are Confident in His Handling of the Economy, Other Issues
Source excerpt: “And 31% of those who voted for him in 2024 now disapprove of his performance. ”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: 31% of those who voted for Trump in 2024 now disapprove of his performance.
8pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Trump Loses Ground on Several Personal Traits as Approval Rating Slips
Source excerpt: “- 66% of Hispanic Trump voters approve of the president, compared with 81% of White Trump voters. Trump’s approval rating among his Hispanic voters ha...”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: Trump's approval among Hispanic voters has declined 27 points since early 2025, versus 14 points among White voters.
9pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Trump Loses Ground on Several Personal Traits as Approval Rating Slips
Source excerpt: “# Trump Loses Ground on Several Personal Traits as Approval Rating Slips ## Majority of Americans say level of ethics and honesty in government has fa...”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: A majority of Americans say the level of ethics and honesty in government has fallen during Trump's term.
10pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Trump’s Approval Rating Drops as Fewer Americans Are Confident in His Handling of the Economy, Other Issues
Source excerpt: “# Trump’s Approval Rating Drops as Fewer Americans Are Confident in His Handling of the Economy, Other Issues ## Share this chart | Date | Total | Tru...”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: Confidence in Trump's economic decisions fell from 45% to 35%, and foreign policy confidence from 53% to 35%.
11wral.comNews and mediaquality 0.88
Fact-checking Donald Trump’s claims about his second term accomplishments :: WRAL.com
Source excerpt: “He said **the U.S. has "secured a record-breaking $18 trillion in commitments for new investments."** The White House website since mid-November has s...”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: Trump claimed $18 trillion in investment commitments while the White House website showed $9.6 trillion.
12villanovan.comNews and media
Trump’s Second Term: A One-Year Recap
Source excerpt: “While the orders address a wide range of policy areas, critics argue that their sheer volume reflects a broader consolidation of executive power. “Th...”
attribution, article, points to no. Claim: Critics argue the volume of executive orders reflects consolidation of executive power with unwillingness to place checks on his power.