• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly

2

After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history

3

Current price of silver as of Tuesday, July 14, 2026

1

MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly

2

After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history

3

Current price of silver as of Tuesday, July 14, 2026
LeadershipUS Politics

Donald Trump Is Exaggerating America’s Crime Problem

By
The Associated Press
The Associated Press
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
The Associated Press
The Associated Press
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 13, 2016, 7:32 AM ET
Presumptive Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump Gives Speech On Veterans Reform
Donald Trump, presumptive 2016 Republican presidential nominee, looks towards the crowd after speaking during a campaign event on veterans reform in Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S., on Monday, July 11, 2016. Trump said he expects to choose his running mate for the GOP presidential ticket in the next three or four days and is leaning toward a political pick to balance out his outsider status, according to a Monday interview with the Washington Post. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesBloomberg via Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

In presenting himself as the “law and order” candidate for president, Donald Trump portrays a nation of lawlessness and disorder.

That grim picture may speak to the visceral fears of voters of a country “out of control,” as Trump put it. It does not, though, reflect a trend of declining crime that has been unfolding over 25 years.

Crime figures are a malleable source of information. Depending on what time period is compared, and which crimes are considered, they can be used to tell a tale of progress or setbacks. Here’s a look at some of Trump’s recent statements, President Barack Obama’s very different assertions and how they compare with the facts:

TRUMP: “Crime is out of control, and rapidly getting worse. Look what is going on in Chicago and our inner cities. Not good!” — Tweet.

TRUMP: “Violent crime has increased in cities across America.” — Speech on Monday.

THE FACTS: Violent crime has dropped dramatically since the early 1990s.

According to FBI data , the national violent crime rate last peaked in 1991 at 758 reported violent crimes per 100,000 people. In 2014, the latest year for which full data is available, the rate was 366 per 100,000 people.

Even so, Trump has some statistical support for claiming violent crime is up in big-city America.

The Major Cities Chiefs Association, a nonprofit that works with urban police chiefs, finds that violent crime reported by some urban police departments rose from 2014 to 2015, and homicides alone were up in 44 of the big-city and county police departments, by this count.

One year’s results, though, cannot be taken to mean that the overall trend of declining violent crime is changing.

There have been other upticks in violent crime in the past 15 years, even as rates have fallen over the longer period. In both 2005 and 2006, the number of violent crimes reported to the FBI increased 2.3 percent and 3.2 percent respectively. That was followed by five years of declines.

“It is a mistake to say crime is out of control and rapidly getting worse,” Darrel Stephens, executive director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, told AP. “We do have increases in many cities and it should be of concern to people, but the rate is well below the early ’90s when it was at its peak.”

Said Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum: “I would not say that crime is out of control everywhere or anywhere for that matter, in comparison to where we were 25 years ago.”


OBAMA: “It is important to keep in perspective that in places like New York, or Los Angeles, or Dallas, you’ve seen huge drops in the murder rates.” — News conference, Saturday.

THE FACTS: He’s right about New York but Los Angeles and Dallas saw increases in homicides from 2014 and to 2015, and in the first three months of this year compared with the same period last year, according to the Major Cities Chiefs data. Over time, however, murder rates have fallen drastically in both cities over the past 25 years, FBI data show. Violent crime in those cities also has been on the decline since the early ’90s, much like the rest of the country.

Obama did not specify the time period behind his claim.

The FBI’s annual Uniform Crime Report, the main source of data on crime, isn’t a perfect measure because police departments voluntarily report their numbers and some departments may classify crimes differently. But the decline seen in the FBI’s numbers has been mirrored in another nationwide crime measure, the National Crime Victimization Survey published by the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics.


TRUMP: “According to the Chicago Tribune, there has already been more than 2,000 — 2,000 — shooting victims in Chicago alone this year. This epidemic of violence destroys lives, destroys communities and destroys opportunity for young Americans.”

OBAMA: “I’m not just talking about mass shootings. I’m talking about the hundreds of people who have already been shot this year in my hometown of Chicago — the ones that we just consider routine.”

THE FACTS: Trump accurately cited the newspaper’s finding that more than 2,100 people have been shot in Chicago this year. Obama appeared to confuse the number of people shot with the number of people who died from shootings — more than 240.

But with Chicago homicides starkly rising, Trump and Obama were on solid ground in pointing to the reality that it has been a bloody year in that city.

About the Author
By The Associated Press
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

A leadership consultant’s warning to managers: Don’t mistake grief for underperformance
Workplace CultureHuman resources
A leadership consultant’s warning to managers: Don’t mistake grief for underperformance
By Mikaela Cohen and HR BrewJuly 14, 2026
9 hours ago
Kids near table in a school setting
North AmericaEducation
Native American graduation rates hit a record high but tribal leaders fear Trump-era cuts could reverse the gains
By The Associated Press and Savannah PetersJuly 14, 2026
10 hours ago
‘Close to as good as it gets’: Jamie Dimon just offered another warning on bubbly markets as Wall Street had a monster quarter
BankingJPMorgan Chase
‘Close to as good as it gets’: Jamie Dimon just offered another warning on bubbly markets as Wall Street had a monster quarter
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 14, 2026
10 hours ago
After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history
North AmericaWarren Buffett
After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 14, 2026
11 hours ago
Golfer at a bay.
C-SuiteSports
Topgolf’s CEO thinks the sport’s next star could get their start at one of its driving ranges
By Catherina GioinoJuly 14, 2026
11 hours ago
Ramp’s billionaire CEO ignores résumés and Ivy League degrees—he’s more interested in engineers who built Minecraft servers as teens
SuccessHiring
Ramp’s billionaire CEO ignores résumés and Ivy League degrees—he’s more interested in engineers who built Minecraft servers as teens
By Sydney LakeJuly 14, 2026
13 hours ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly
Newsletters
MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly
By Sydney LakeJuly 14, 2026
12 hours ago
After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history
North America
After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 14, 2026
11 hours ago
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, July 14, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 14, 2026
19 hours ago
Current price of gold as of July 14, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of July 14, 2026
By Danny BakstJuly 14, 2026
16 hours ago
United States' $39 trillion national debt will mean fewer jobs at lower wages for Gen Z, according to think tank
Economy
United States' $39 trillion national debt will mean fewer jobs at lower wages for Gen Z, according to think tank
By Eleanor PringleJuly 14, 2026
18 hours ago
'He found their weakness. It might have been sex. It might be power': Warren Buffett stunned by Epstein pull as he snubs Gates Foundation
Banking
'He found their weakness. It might have been sex. It might be power': Warren Buffett stunned by Epstein pull as he snubs Gates Foundation
By Josh Funk and The Associated PressJuly 14, 2026
14 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.