Archive · 15 Aug 2026
Trump touts drop in US violent crime ahead of midterms
President Trump gave a big speech to police officers in New York.
He shared new numbers from the FBI, the national agency that tracks crime.
The numbers showed that violent crime dropped a lot in 2025.
It was the biggest one-year drop ever recorded.
Murders went down by about 18 percent, and robberies went down even more.
Trump said his tough-on-crime rules and his plan to remove immigrants without legal status caused the drop.
But experts who study crime say that is too simple.
They point out that crime was already falling before Trump came back, and many different reasons explain it.
Some people, including Democrats, disagree and say Trump's policies may have made communities less safe in some ways.
Above all, this speech was part of the coming election, because politicians like to share good news with voters.
President Donald Trump touted falling US violent crime rates as evidence that his law-and-order and aggressive immigration agenda is working.
The White House released FBI data for 2025 showing the largest year-to-year decline in violent crime on record, with murders down an estimated 18.1% and robberies down 18.5%.
The decline predates Trump's return to office; homicide rates fell in 2023 and 2024 to pre-pandemic lows.
Experts say no single policy explains the drop, noting declines are occurring nationwide and globally in cities with very different approaches to policing.
Democrats say Republicans are overstating the role of federal policy and argue that immigration officers, who have killed two U.S. citizens, have made communities less safe.
- Who
- President Donald Trump, joined by FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Todd Blanche, at the Nassau County Police Academy.
- What
- Unveiled FBI data showing the largest recorded year-to-year decline in violent crime, with murders down an estimated 18.1% and robberies down 18.5% in 2025.
- When
- Friday, August 14, ahead of the November midterm elections.
- Where
- Nassau County Police Academy in Garden City, New York.
- Why
- To argue his law-and-order and immigration agenda is working and to shift attention from economic concerns, including inflation and the fallout from the war with Iran, ahead of the midterms.
Democrats, progressives and crime experts
Trump administration and Republicans
Cause of the crime decline
Democrats, progressives and crime experts
Experts and Democrats say no single policy explains the drop and note the decline predates Trump's return to office, with homicides already falling in 2023 and 2024.
Trump administration and Republicans
Trump argues, without evidence, that his mass deportation campaign and law-and-order agenda are major contributors to the decline.
Federal intervention and immigration enforcement
Democrats, progressives and crime experts
Democrats say Republicans overstate the role of federal policy and that immigration officers, who have killed two U.S. citizens, have made communities less safe.
Trump administration and Republicans
Trump justifies aggressive federal intervention, including the deployment of federal agents and National Guard troops, citing a 'crime epidemic' in Democratic-run cities.
Policing strategy
Democrats, progressives and crime experts
Progressives have largely backed away from the 'defund the police' movement that emerged after George Floyd's murder in 2020, and now call for reformed policing while opposing the administration's tactics.
Trump administration and Republicans
Trump promotes aggressive policing and has intensified attacks on progressive local candidates, including New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
- Event location
- Nassau County Police Academy, Garden City, New York
- Data source
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 2025 crime statistics
- Violent crime trend
- Largest year-to-year decline on record
- Murder change (2025)
- Down an estimated 18.1%
- Robbery change (2025)
- Down an estimated 18.5%
- Officials present
- FBI Director Kash Patel; Attorney General Todd Blanche
- Expert assessment
- No single policy explains the decline, says Council on Criminal Justice President and CEO Adam Gelb
- Political context
- Speech ahead of November midterm elections; Trump seeking to counter economic concerns and falling approval ratings