“That’s Good News for All of Us — Except for Trump”: Crime Decline Challenges Trump’s Fear-Driven Narrative

 “That’s Good News for All of Us — Except for Trump”: Crime Decline Challenges Trump’s Fear-Driven Narrative

Donald Trump held a campaign rally at the Lancaster Airport located in Lititz, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

As Donald Trump prepares to re-enter the White House for a second term, he is noticeably silent about positive developments like the sharp decline in violent crime — particularly homicides. This silence, according to MSNBC columnist Paul Waldman, reflects Trump’s reliance on a narrative of fear and division, which contradicts these optimistic trends.

“Violent crime — specifically homicide — has seen a dramatic plummet in recent years,” Waldman noted, pointing to encouraging statistics from major U.S. cities. In Boston, homicides in 2024 reached a record low of just 24, the fewest since 1957. San Francisco, often criticized as emblematic of urban decay, reported only 34 homicides, its lowest since 1960.

Meanwhile, Detroit saw fewer homicides in 2023 than in any year since 1966, and this year’s total is expected to be even lower. “Back here in reality, much of the recent news about crime has been highly encouraging,” Waldman wrote. “That’s good news for all of us — except for Trump.”

Trump’s rhetoric has long portrayed American cities as lawless “hellscapes,” where citizens face daily threats of violence. Waldman argues that this fear-driven messaging serves a political purpose: fostering division and reinforcing Trump’s self-image as the only one capable of ending what he calls “carnage.”

Donald Trump The Elysee Presidential Palace
Photo Credit: Nathan Laine/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Waldman predicts Trump will readily take credit for positive economic indicators like low unemployment, declining inflation, and a booming stock market, but will likely avoid acknowledging the drop in crime rates. Doing so would undermine the cornerstone of his narrative.

“The reasons Trump won’t tout declining crime have to do with the way he uses fear and sets Americans from different kinds of places against one another,” Waldman explained. He also urged Democrats to seize this opportunity to highlight the successes of policies that contributed to crime reductions.

“So perhaps it’s time Democrats started making more noise about the places that have succeeded in reducing crime — not just to cheer, but to get people talking about which policies worked and how we might prevent future increases in crime rates,” he wrote.

Despite their successes, Democrats often avoid discussing crime, Waldman noted, fearing accusations of being “soft on crime.” However, he emphasized that Trump’s exaggerated claims about urban violence are not universally believed, even among his supporters.

“The first step to getting over their own fear is to understand that Trump doesn’t have magical powers of persuasion,” Waldman concluded. By addressing the real successes in reducing crime, Democrats can counter Trump’s fear-based narrative with facts and evidence.

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