Murder Rate Plummets Nationwide as Trump’s Crime Crackdown Takes Effect
by Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Staff
WASHINGTON D.C. (Worthy News) – The White House credited President Donald Trump’s aggressive law-and-order policies for a dramatic 20% drop in the national murder rate so far this year, citing newly released data from crime analyst Jeff Asher.
“Since President Trump took office, murder rates have plummeted across the entire United States,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement to The Daily Signal. “American families were promised their communities would be safer, and President Trump swiftly delivered by vocally being tough on crime, unequivocally backing law enforcement, and standing firm on violent criminals being held to the fullest extent of the law.”
The drop is most notable in some of America’s most historically violent cities. As of early May 2025, murders are down significantly year-to-date:
- Baltimore: down 31.6%
- St. Louis: down 34.5%
- Cleveland: down 36.8%
- Denver: down 63%
- New Orleans: down 30.6%
- New York City: down 26.8%
- Chicago: down 23.7%
Philadelphia reported just 88 homicides as of May 22 — a staggering contrast to the 201 recorded by the same date in 2021. The 88 figure ties with 2014 and 2015 for the lowest number of killings recorded in that city for this period.
“If this decline continues through the Fall, then we should seriously start having a discussion about the probability of a record-breaking year,” wrote Asher on his Substack. “Until then, it’s sufficient to be aware of and measuring the possibility of a new record low.”
Trump, who signed a series of executive orders aimed at restoring public safety upon returning to office, has been vocal about reinstating consequences for violent criminals and restoring authority to law enforcement.
Among his first actions:
- Jan. 20: Executive Order “Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety,” reinforcing the federal death penalty for heinous crimes.
- March 27: Order to secure the nation’s capital by increasing D.C. police capacity and targeting repeat offenders.
- April 28: Directive empowering state and local law enforcement to “relentlessly pursue criminals and protect American communities.”
Trump has also prioritized the removal of criminal illegal aliens and gang members, framing his administration’s justice agenda as a return to public safety and deterrence after what he calls “years of lawlessness under weak leadership.”
With crime falling and public confidence in law enforcement rising, Trump’s supporters are pointing to the early results as validation of his tough-on-crime doctrine.
If current trends continue through the end of the year, 2025 could be one of the safest years in decades, possibly eclipsing the record low set in 2014.
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