What has gotten better after trumps reelection
Executive summary
The administration and allied outlets point to measurable wins since Donald Trump’s 2024 reelection—faster post‑pandemic job recovery, sharp drops in border apprehensions, fresh private AI investment, and a boost in Republican voters’ outlook—while independent polls and analysts register rising public dissatisfaction and mixed economic signals [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]. This account weighs the claims in the available reporting and flags where evidence is limited or contested.
1. Jobs and unemployment: a quicker recovery by some measures
The White House touts that unemployment fell rapidly from a pandemic peak (14.7% in April 2020) to 6.7% by December in the earlier administration’s cited recovery and argues jobs recovered “23 times faster” than under the previous administration, with notable declines in Hispanic, Asian‑American and Black unemployment rates [1]. Independent trackers show pockets of improvement that supporters cite as validation of pro‑growth policies, but other outlets and polls note persistent public unease about household finances and affordability, suggesting headline unemployment gains have not erased voter anxiety [6] [7].
2. Border enforcement and crossings: large declines reported
FactCheck reports a dramatic fall in U.S. border apprehensions—citing a 91.4% decrease during the president’s first full 11 months in office compared with the same period in 2024—using CBP figures as a proxy for illegal crossings [2]. Administration statements and fact‑checking agree the numbers dropped sharply, yet the long‑term drivers and the roles of policy changes vs. enforcement vs. external factors are still debated in reporting and remain analytically complex [2].
3. Investment and technology: claims of an AI leadership surge
White House communications assert that Trump “solidified the U.S.’s position as the world leader in artificial intelligence,” citing north of $1 trillion in AI investment and large corporate deals as evidence [3]. Global reporting also notes how foreign capitals and markets recalibrated to a Trump presidency, affecting investor expectations [8]. News outlets and independent analysts have documented heightened investor attention to AI during this period, but publicly available audited investment tallies and the causal links to policy shifts are not fully established in the provided sources [3] [8].
4. Public mood and partisan confidence: Republicans feel the country is improving
Polling in the immediate aftermath of the 2024 election showed a marked swing in partisan perceptions: YouGov/Economist polling found the share of Republicans who said the country was “headed in the right direction” nearly tripled, and confidence that votes were counted rose among both Trump and Harris voters [4]. Academic observers also credit Trump’s campaign with building a multiracial coalition of grievance populism that helped win the election—an outcome that translated into partisan optimism among supporters [9].
5. International and geopolitical effects: governments and markets adjusted
BBC reporting documented that world leaders and markets adjusted calculations after Trump’s victory—anticipating new trade stances, potential tariffs and changed diplomacy from Jerusalem to Kyiv—effects that produced both volatility and new negotiations around conflicts like Israel‑Palestine and Ukraine [8]. Those diplomatic ripples are real in reporting, though how they translate into long‑term gains depends on evolving negotiations and are not fully proven in the sources provided [8].
6. Countervailing evidence: declining approval and persistent public concerns
Multiple independent trackers and news organizations report eroding approval for the president and ongoing voter dissatisfaction on the economy: The Economist’s approval tracker and Gallup note falling ratings and worsening assessments of Trump’s handling of key issues, and PBS and Newsweek coverage highlight public unease about affordability and the political risks of declining support [5] [10] [6] [11]. These sources complicate a straightforward “better” narrative by showing political capital and public confidence are contested and brittle.
Conclusion: measurable improvements, politically contested and incomplete
The record in the supplied reporting shows clear areas where advocates can point to improvement—rapid job‑market rebounds cited by the administration, steep declines in border apprehensions, fresh AI investment and a partisan surge in optimism [1] [2] [3] [4]. Yet independent polling, approval trackers and external analysts record significant public dissatisfaction and unresolved questions about sustainability and causation, meaning the gains are real but politically fraught and partially contested in the available sources [5] [6] [8].