On Tuesday, PJ Media posted an article about the changes in the crime rate in the big cities of America. The title of the article is “Trump Is to Blame for Record Low Crime Rate in Big Cities.”
The article reports:
For those who might look askance at the headline to this article, I can only point out the obvious: Donald Trump would have been blamed if the big cities’ crime rate rose, so that must mean that he gets the credit (or blame) when the rate of violent crime reaches historic lows.
…Today, the crime rate in big cities is at or near historic lows. The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) and the Regional Justice Information Service (RJIS) publish biannual crime statistics for major cities based on FBI data and local police reports.
“Following the historic 30% increase in homicide from 2019 to 2020, CCJ’s last report estimated that the 2025 national homicide rate will likely be at its lowest level since at least 1900,” the joint report says. “Trends through the first half of 2026 show that the decline, which began in the second half of 2022, has continued, advancing well beyond the “return to normal” phase seen after the spike in 2020.”
How did this happen? “Researchers and practitioners have pointed to a range of possible influences, including changes in criminal justice operations and strategies, technological advances, and broad shifts in society and culture,” the report notes.
The article concludes:
In the first half of 2026, the Nation’s capital reported 46 homicides, down 43.9% from 82 in the first half of 2025. Even before the National Guard was deployed, the murder rate was declining. It cratered after the Guard came to town, as did other violent-crime indices.
As the CCJ makes clear, it wasn’t a single factor that led to the decline. But some factors contributed more to the drop in violent crime than others. I would say more guns in the hands of citizens and the increase in incarceration for violent criminals had significantly more impact than “violence prevention” efforts and “prisoner re-entry programs” did.
However you look at it, and for whatever reason, this is good news. The violent crime rate is still far higher than it should be, and removing impediments to bringing it down further should be the work of Congress.
I am looking forward to visiting Washington this fall. I can’t wait to see the changes in the city.