President Donald Trump touts historic drop in U.S. murder rates to 1950s lows during 2025 crime report release
President Donald Trump announced that the United States achieved the single largest reduction in violent crime in American history during 2025, according to a new FBI report released Friday. The murder rate reached 4.1 homicides per 100,000 people, the lowest level seen since the mid-1950s. During a visit to a New York police academy, President Donald Trump credited the administration for surging federal resources to cities and implementing tough-on-crime policies. The report also showed a 9.3% drop in overall violent crime and a 12.4% decrease in property crime. While some experts, such as Adam Gelb of the Council on Criminal Justice, suggest that the cause of the decline is not yet entirely clear due to varying strategies across different cities, the administration maintains that its leadership and the efforts of the FBI and Attorney General Todd Blanche are primary drivers of the success. The FBI noted that crime rates have continued to downward trends in the first half of 2026.
Sources
-
Killings and other violent crimes dropped sharply in 2025
The Washington Post
-
Violent crime plummeted in 2025, with murder rate hitting 20-year low, FBI says
CBS News
-
Murder is at lowest rate since the 1950s. Trump touts it as a personal success.
CNN
-
Trump Administration News: President Takes Credit for Steep Crime Rate Declines With False Claims
The New York Times
-
Trump touts drop in US crime rates with an eye on midterms
Reuters