Trump Misrepresents Crime Statistics in Washington, D.C. to Justify National Guard Deployment

President Donald Trump's assertion that Washington, D.C. has been taken over by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals to justify deploying the National Guard is inaccurate. Despite violent crime rates falling over the last two years, Trump misstated statistics and facts to paint the city as lawless. However, data from the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia indicates that violent crime rates in D.C. peaked in 2023 post-pandemic, with 274 homicides, the highest since the late 1990s. Trump claimed that 2023 homicide rate was the highest ever, but data shows that it peaked in 1991, with a rate 63% higher than in 1991.

Key Takeaways:

• Violent crime rates in D.C. peaked in 2023 post-pandemic, with 274 homicides, the highest since the late 1990s.
• Trump misstated that the 2023 homicide rate was the highest ever, when in fact it was lower than the 1991 rate.
• The 2023 homicide rate declined by 63% since 1991, and overall violent crime has gone down by 35% since 2023.
• Sex abuse rates have decreased by 71%, and assaults with a dangerous weapon have dropped by 62%.
• The White House released a fact sheet citing D.C.'s homicide rate in 2024 as the fourth highest in the country, but this was incorrect according to the Washington Post's reporting.
• The fact sheet also incorrectly stated that D.C.'s 2023 murder rate was the fifth highest among the largest cities.
• Trump compared D.C. homicide rates to those of "the worst places on Earth," but the data shows that Washington, D.C. has a higher homicide rate than Mexico City, some of which are actually not in the top 50 global cities with highest homicide rates.

Statistics:

• Violent crime rates in D.C. peaked in 2023 post-pandemic, with 274 homicides.
• The 2023 homicide rate was lower than the 1991 rate, which was higher by 63%.
• Overall violent crime has gone down by 35% since 2023.
• Sex abuse rates have decreased by 71% since 2023.
• Assaults with a dangerous weapon have dropped by 62% since 2023.
• Washington, D.C. has a higher homicide rate than Mexico City, which recorded approximately 10 per 100,000 residents in 2024.

Sources:

• Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia.
• Washington Post.
• Igarapé Institute, a Brazilian think tank.