Two months after the National Guard deployed at Los Angeles, US President Donald Trump has sent 800 National Guard soldiers to the American capital. On Monday, he placed the city’s police department under federal control, and announced that he would bring it to the army if necessary. He justified the move by saying that Washington had a high level of violent crime, and handed over various figures to support it.
claim:
“Crime is out of control in Colombia district. […] The magnitude of violent crime crisis keeps Columbia district among the most violent courts in the United States, “Trump announced in an official White House statement On August 11, a claim that he posted on himself True social Stage on 5 August. “In 2024, the district of Columbia has an average of one of the highest robbery and murder rates of big cities across the country. In fact, Columbia district now has a high violent crime, murder and robbery rate in all 50 states, which is registering a murder rate of 27.54 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2024.”
DW Fact Czech: Cosheral
At first glance, it appears that Trump is correct. The crime rate in the US capital is actually high [see table]According to FBI, National Center for Health Statistics, and Center for Public Safety Initiative, 2023, Compared to 50 American statesWashington, DC, one of the most dangerous areas in the US, with a murder rate of 39 for each 100,000 inhabitants.
However, if the number compared to the number for the same year Other major American citiesInstead of American states, Washington, currently a population of about 684,000, is not the worst. The top of the chart, among the 100,000 inhabitants, with a homered council of over 50, were cities of New Orleans and St. Louis (Missouri), whose population is only half size. Washington, DC, is not a real state, which makes the city more suitable.
Violent crime in Washington is down
So Trump fails to mention in his statement that the rate of murder in Washington, DC has fallen from 39 to 2024 in 2023 in 2023, quoting Trump. It ranked Washington fourth among the most recent national figures in cities, with the highest number of murders per 100,000 inhabitants.
According to Washington, DC’s metropolitan police departmentThe number of murders recorded in 2024 was decided by 32% – below 274 cases in 2023 from 187.
Washington’s Mayor, Murial Boseer, excluded it earlier this week. “it is […] True, we experience a crime spike post-cool, “He said.” But we quickly worked to make laws, and the strategy, which got violent criminals on our streets and gave more equipment to our police officers. This is why we have a major decision in crime due to those efforts. We are capable of reversing that 2023 crime spike. ,
Decreased crime in accordance with national trend
Trump supporters are claiming in various online media – as Here And Here – Washington, DC, Police Department data has been justified. And yet the figures published by independent Council of criminal justice So confirm that Crime in Washington It is actually reduced.
FBI figures Trump is using so much verification that the crime is going down all over America. According to FBI Data Explorer, one was Lack of all forms of violent crime In the US in 2024 compared to last year.
Number of murders 14.9% droppedThe robbery increased by 8.9%, 5%in rape, and 3%. Recent data shows that it is Positive trend continues In 2025.
Truth trump trump trump
Unlike President Himola, the new AI Bot on Trump’s truth social network gives a fine response to this question “Is Washington out of control in DC?” (See screenshot)
“DC had a serious crime peak in 2023, but 2025 data shows a significant decline so far,” it says. “Describes the crime as ‘out of control’ today overfates the recent high water mark and the current below trend, showing the ongoing public anxiety accurately.”
Trump has said that his intervention in Washington is “only the beginning.” He mentioned cities in Chicago, New York, Baltimore and Okland as places where it could be Deploy national guard,
During his first term at the office, Trump gathered more than half of the US states after the murder of George Floid by a police officer in May 2020. The soldiers were sent to the Black Lives Matter Movement to face massive protests.
This article has been translated from German.
