Trump DHS Official Faceplants on Crime Stats, Falsely Claims These Cities Are Seeing ‘Record’ Homicides
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin managed to be drastically wrong during an appearance on Fox Business.
On Monday morning, President Donald Trump announced the deployment of 800 National Guard members to Washington, D.C., where he also deployed federal law enforcement officers and took control of the Metropolitan Police Department. The president said the moves are necessary to combat crime in the nation’s capital, and that this could serve as a model for federal action in other major cities.
McLaughlin appeared on Tuesday’s Kudlow, where the host asked about replicating the administration’s approach to D.C. in other cities.
“How difficult would this be, Tricia Mclaughlin, to expand this into other cities with the same problem?” Larry Kudlow asked.
McLaughlin replied:
Well, of course, you look at Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and New York. They’re also facing record numbers of homicides and violent crimes. I think it’s natural for us to look at, could Washington D.C., if we really clean this up, if we can get rid of this plague of crime and violent activities that’s happening in our nation’s capital, could that be a blueprint and model in other communities around the country? It’s something I think President Trump won’t shy away from, but we’ll have to stay tuned.
McLaughlin’s claim that Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and New York are all “facing record numbers of homicides and violent crimes” isn’t just wrong. It is spectacularly wrong.
Regarding Los Angeles, in the first half of the year, the city experienced its lowest homicide total since the 1960s. Also, the rate of violent crime in general dropped in the city. However, that didn’t stop Trump from federalizing 4,000 National Guard members in California and deploying 700 Marines to ostensibly fight crime in L.A.
Boston, meanwhile, in 2024 logged its lowest homicide total since 1957 and saw a substantial drop in violent crime.
Chicago saw a 33% decline in homicides in the first half of this year compared to 2024. The Windy City is also experiencing a “historic” drop in other violent crime.
And in June, New York reported having “the lowest number of shootings and homicides in recorded history over the first five months of the year.”
Watch above via Fox Business Network.
