Yes
I do.
No
I don’t.
President Donald Trump is highlighting falling crime numbers as evidence that his administration’s law-and-order agenda is producing results, but the question of which president deserves credit is already generating political debate.
New FBI figures released in August show that murders dropped sharply in 2025. The homicide rate fell 18.1%, reaching its lowest level since 1956, while the overall violent-crime rate declined 9.3%. Those are substantial improvements that Americans across the political spectrum can welcome.
Trump has credited his administration’s policies, including tougher immigration enforcement and increased emphasis on law enforcement, with helping drive crime lower. The White House has similarly pointed to declining homicide, robbery and other crime figures as evidence that its public-safety strategy is working.
There is disagreement, however, over exactly how much credit any president should receive.
Crime was already falling nationally before Trump returned to the White House. Violent crime began declining from its pandemic-era surge during the Biden administration, and criminologists caution that national crime trends can be influenced by numerous factors, including local policing, demographics, economic conditions and changes occurring independently across hundreds of cities.
That makes presidential comparisons complicated. Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Donald Trump governed during very different periods, and crime rates can move dramatically because of circumstances beyond the direct control of Washington.
Still, Trump argues that the latest numbers demonstrate the effectiveness of his approach to crime and public safety.
Now it’s your turn to weigh in.