According to a Newsweek analysis powered by AI, the first six months of Donald Trump’s second term have been the most “successful” of any U.S. president since Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The AI model measured success based on legislative achievements, factoring in the level of congressional control held by each president’s party during the period. One political scientist told Newsweek that Trump’s major accomplishments—most notably the sweeping One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a combined tax and spending package—highlight the strength of partisan support he enjoys in Congress.
The AI analysis concluded that the first six months of Trump’s second term were the most productive of any presidency since FDR’s first term in 1933. During his first 100 days, Roosevelt enacted 15 major New Deal laws, including the landmark Emergency Banking Act.
Trump was sworn in for his second term on January 20 after winning the 2024 presidential election on promises to crack down on illegal immigration, combat “woke” culture, and cut targeted taxes.
The AI model shows that Trump has been largely successful in turning those priorities into law, thanks in part to the narrow Republican majorities in both the House and Senate, as well as minimal resistance from a Supreme Court with a solid conservative majority.
Newsweek asked ChatGPT to evaluate the accomplishments of U.S. presidents from the 20th and 21st centuries during their first six months in office, factoring in the level of congressional support each president had. The model rated Trump’s early second-term performance as “very high,” citing major legislative wins such as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the Laken Riley Acts.
Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill into law on July 4, after it narrowly passed both chambers of Congress. The sweeping legislation extended Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, raised the debt ceiling, boosted funding for the military and border security, and reduced spending on Medicare and other welfare programs.
According to a Congressional Budget Office analysis, the bill is projected to add $3.3 trillion to the federal debt over the next decade. But Trump administration officials have frequently argued that the economic benefits the measure generates will more than offset the added debt, leading to a net-zero sum or even a surplus.
