Is Donald Trump improving the lives of Americans?

Is Trump improving Americans' lives? I'll pull recent economic and polling data to assess his impact.

Whether Donald Trump's second administration is improving lives is disputed and depends on the metric and population group. Polling and economic data in 2025-2026 show a mixed picture:

What polls show Americans think:

•An AP-NORC poll in late September 2026 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.

•In that poll, 65% of U.S. adults blame Trump's policies for persistently high costs more than factors outside his control.

•About 6 in 10 say the country as a whole is "much" or "somewhat" worse off than when he began his second term.

•Only about 3 in 10 Americans approve of how Trump is handling his job as president in that poll.

•Other national surveys in fall 2026 put overall approval at 32-33% and economic approval at 27-34%.

His handling of the economy is now 14 percentage points lower than in March 2025 just after he took office for the second time.

Border security is his relative strength, with about half of Americans saying they approve of his performance on that issue.

What economic data shows:

•GDP growth: The U.S. real GDP grew 2.0 percent during the four quarters of 2025, down from 2.4 percent growth during the four quarters prior. Another summary puts 2025 growth at 2.2%, down from 2.8% in 2024, though the economy was still expanding at an annualized 2.2% and has grown about 3.2% since the end of 2024, more than any other G7 country in that period.

•Jobs: Private-sector job growth averaged 25,000 per month during 2025, down from a pace of 85,000 per month during 2024. U.S. employers added just 181,000 jobs in all of 2025, the lowest annual total outside of a recession since 2003. Unemployment was around 4.4% and 4.3% in other readings.

•Inflation: Inflation stands at 2.7% year-over-year in some 2025-2026 reports, while other reports put it at 3.7% over the past 12 months and at 3.3% year-over-year in March 2026, above the Federal Reserve's 2% target.

•Tariffs: Broad tariffs of 10-60% on imports from major partners have raised more than $200 billion in revenue, but have added an estimated $1,700–$3,800 annually per household, with tariffs contributing 0.5–1.5 percentage points to inflation. Trump's tariffs have raised the effective US import tax rate from roughly 2% to nearly 12% since he took office.

•Income and wages: Median household income, adjusted for inflation, rose 2.6% in 2025 to $87,460, the highest on record. Real wages have increased 1.3 percent since January 2025 in one White House-linked summary.

•Stocks and investment: The S&P 500 generated a total return of more than 37% from the November 5, 2024, election through August 7, 2026, with record stock market performance cited as a macro strength alongside projected GDP growth of 2.5–3% in 2026.

Policy positives and negatives cited by analysts and supporters:

Supporters point to specific improvements: Economic gains like lower unemployment figures in certain sectors, Deregulation which they argue has freed up businesses to grow, and Stronger border security which they believe contributes to national safety. Deregulation positively impacts US equities, especially in sectors like energy, financial services, and manufacturing where regulations have historically been costly.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed in 2025 provides tax relief through expanded child tax credits up to $2,200, elimination of taxes on tips up to $25,000 and overtime up to $12,500, and higher standard deductions. Middle-class households could see average federal tax savings of $900–$1,800. Retirement provisions also increased catch-up limits and added a $6,000 annual deduction for those 65+.

Critics and distributional analyses note that approximately 70% of net benefits accrue to the top 20% of earners, with the top 1% gaining over $50,000 per household on average, while the middle quintile receives about 10%, and after accounting for tariff effects, many middle-income families may face net annual losses of $470–$2,000. Proposed reductions to Medicaid and SNAP exceeding $1 trillion to offset tax cuts could affect millions' access to health coverage and food assistance.

Consumer sentiment reflects pessimism: The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index fell to 47.6 in April 2026, the lowest reading in the survey's 74-year history, with 65% viewing the policies as favoring the wealthy and 70% concerned about tariff impacts.

In short, macro indicators like stock market gains and median income growth show improvement for some groups, particularly investors and higher earners and some middle-class filers receiving tax relief, while most polling indicates a majority of Americans do not currently feel their lives have improved, citing higher costs, slower hiring, and tariff effects. Economists note the second term is 15 months old and economies take time to respond to policy, and the full consequences will take years to surface fully.

Citations (3)

1ap.orgNews and mediaquality 0.69
Most Americans blame Trump for high prices as his economic approval hits new low, AP-NORC poll shows
Backs: “Whether Donald Trump's second administration is improving lives is disputed and depends on the metric and population group. Polling and economic data in 2025-2026 show a mixed picture: What polls show Americans think: An AP-NORC poll in late September 2026 found only 17% of U.S. adults approve of Trump's handling of…”
2tradingview.comData and tools
From grocery bills to oil prices, is Trump's economy worse than Biden's?
Backs: “Jobs: Private-sector job growth averaged 25,000 per month during 2025, down from a pace of 85,000 per month during 2024. U.S. employers added just 181,000 jobs in all of 2025, the lowest annual total outside of a recession since 2003.”
3einnews.comNews and media
Trump's Economic Policies Show Mixed Impact: Macro Gains Amid Middle-Class Pressures With Some Retirement Savings Boosts
Backs: “employers added just 181,000 jobs in all of 2025, the lowest annual total outside of a recession since 2003.”