A tense exchange between former President Donald Trump and ABC News moderator David Muir during the presidential debate highlighted the discrepancy in crime statistics under the Biden-Harris administration. Muir corrected Trump, citing FBI data that shows overall violent crime is decreasing in the country. However, Trump countered that the FBI’s data is flawed, pointing out that it doesn’t account for the worst cities with high crime rates.
Trump’s assertion is supported by the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victimization Survey, which releases new data every September. The latest numbers show that crime is indeed on the rise, contradicting the FBI’s data. According to the survey, total violent crime has increased by 37% since Trump’s last year in office, while assault has risen by 33%, total property crime by 8%, and motor vehicle theft by 41%.
The discrepancy between the FBI’s data and the National Crime Victimization Survey can be attributed to changes in how local law enforcement agencies report crime to the FBI. The process has become more complicated, resulting in a lower percentage of agencies submitting data. Notably, some of the largest and most crime-ridden cities, such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City, have failed to report crime data to the FBI.
In contrast, the Department of Justice’s survey methodology has remained unchanged, relying on interviews with 240,000 respondents to track crime rates. This larger sample size provides a more accurate representation of crime trends.
The public’s perception of crime rates also contradicts Muir’s assertion. According to Gallup, 77% of voters, including 58% of Democrats, believe crime is higher than it was during Trump’s presidency. This perception gap highlights the need for accurate and unbiased reporting, rather than “phony ‘fact’ checks” that may mislead the public.
If Muir and his ABC News colleagues want to know why trust in news media is at an all-time low, they should look in the mirror. You cannot gaslight the public into believing the Biden-Harris administration has been good for the country. Voters know the nation is on the wrong track. They want change.
