Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

Both sidesSays it is contested

I'll gather current assessments and data on Trump's government reforms to provide a comprehensive analysis.

Whether Donald Trump is improving the US government is disputed and depends on which metrics you use. Polls and independent assessments show mixed results:

What the administration and supporters point to

The White House describes the period as the "most consequential stretch of governing in modern American history" , claiming:

•Border/immigration: Achieved negative net migration in 2025, reversing a 50-year trend and that it "sealed the border, drove violent crime to historic lows" . Independent FactCheck.org data does show the number of apprehensions at the U.S. border with Mexico decreased about 91% .

•Crime: The White House claims the U.S. murder rate fell to a historic low in 2025 — the lowest level in 125 years. FactCheck.org also reported violent crime and murder rates in 2025 continued to decline, dropping by the largest percentages since the FBI began collecting nationwide data in 1936.

•Deregulation and executive action: The administration claimed $211.8 billion in cost savings for Americans in Fiscal Year 2025 from deregulatory efforts, and trackers report roughly 225–226 executive orders and scores of memoranda issued in 2025–2026 framed as sweeping deregulation and agency reorganizations.

•Economy - some positives: The S&P 500 went up 28.6% , and the economy grew 2.2% in the second quarter of 2026, continuing a steady rate of growth.

Supporters argue cuts to the federal workforce prove efficiency worked, with the federal government reducing its workforce by 300,000 jobs since Jan. 20, 2025. FactCheck put the federal government employment decline at 328,000, or 10.9%, since he took office.

What critics and nonpartisan assessments point to

•Partnership for Public Service report: On the first anniversary of Trump's second inauguration, the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service released a report concluding that federal workforce reductions have decreased the effectiveness of government services, not achieved stated efficiency goals and were conducted with minimal transparency. It characterized the first year as "the most radical transformation of the federal government in over a half-century".

It warned workforce cuts at agencies like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have made the US less prepared for future crises and that government spending increased between fiscal 2024 and 2025 despite the cuts.

•Costs of cuts: The Government Accountability Office found the Trump administration spent $9.5 billion paying federal workers not to work to reduce the workforce, and in many cases later rehired for the same roles with less qualified staff.

•Service satisfaction: Americans’ satisfaction with public-facing services provided by the federal government has fallen for the first time in five years, with the American Customer Satisfaction Index director saying there is a "pretty clear link" between the decline and deep cuts in the federal workforce driven by DOGE. The net decrease was about 264,000 employees per OPM data cited there.

•Economic headwinds per FactCheck Oct 2026 update:

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

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

•Consumer sentiment remains low . The index was 46.3 in Oct 2026 vs 71.7 when Trump took office.

Public opinion

Views are polarized:

•On the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), polling found 47% of voters viewing DOGE negatively and 41% expressing support.

•An AP-NORC poll found only 17% of U.S. adults approve of Trump's handling of the cost of living and just 26% approve of his handling of the economy overall, marking a new low and a 14 point drop from March 2025.

•The issue on which Trump maintains relative strength is border security, with about half of Americans approving there.

In short, supporters credit the administration with securing the border, cutting regulations and shrinking the federal workforce, while critics and some independent data point to reduced government capacity, higher costs in the short term, lower citizen satisfaction, and worsening inflation and sluggish job growth in 2025-2026.

Citations (3)

1factcheck.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Trump's Numbers, October 2026 Update - FactCheck.org
Backs: “Crime: The White House claims the U.S. murder rate fell to a historic low in 2025 — the lowest level in 125 years. FactCheck.org also reported violent crime and murder rates in 2025 continued to decline, dropping by the largest percentages since the FBI began collecting nationwide data in 1936.”
statistic, article, points to yes. Claim: FactCheck.org reported violent crime and murder rates in 2025 continued to decline, dropping by the largest percentages since the FBI began collecting nationwide data in 1936.
2govexec.comNews and mediaquality 0.87
‘Harder days ahead in 2026’: Good government group predicts increased political interference in the civil service in Trump’s second year
Backs: “FactCheck put the federal government employment decline at 328,000, or 10.9%, since he took office. What critics and nonpartisan assessments point to. Partnership for Public Service report: On the first anniversary of Trump's second inauguration, the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service released a report…”
attribution, article, points to no. Claim: Partnership for Public Service report concluded workforce reductions decreased government effectiveness, missed efficiency goals, lacked transparency, and left the US less prepared for crises.
3tradersunion.comNot yet classified
GAO report puts Trump administration federal workforce costs at $9.5 billion
Backs: “It warned workforce cuts at agencies like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have made the US less prepared for future crises and that government spending increased between fiscal 2024 and 2025 despite the cuts. Costs…”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: GAO found the Trump administration spent $9.5 billion paying federal workers not to work, and many were later rehired for the same roles.