In response to an FBI report giving a preliminary estimate of crime in 2023, CNN and MSNBC anchors misleadingly tried to spin the numbers as showing that crime in America is down.
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MSNBC's Alex Wagner Tonight
March 20, 2024
9:33 a.m. Eastern
ALI VELSHI: If you were to randomly flip on Fox News, there are pretty decent odds you will find yourself watching a segment about how Biden's America is rampant with crime. "America is in a crime crisis." And it's not just Fox -- Trump is also obsessed with crime, but a very specific kind of crime.
DONALD TRUMP CLIP #1: It's a new kind of crime -- I don't know if you've heard this -- but I came up with this one -- "migrant crime." There's crime, there's violent crime, there's migrant crime. We have a new category of crime -- it's called "migrant crime."
TRUMP CLIP #2: The United States is being overrun by the Biden migrant crime. It's the new form of vicious violation to our country. It's migrant crime. We call it "Biden migrant crime."
VELSHI: There's a problem with that because what Trump and Fox are pushing lack facts. Across the country, the crime rate is down, and it's continuing to drop. We got new FBI crime data yesterday that shows that, no matter how you slice it, America is getting safer. Property crime is down, violent crime is down, the murder rate saw the sharpest annual decline ever recorded. And that supposed wave of migrant crime that Trump is obsessed with, Fox News ran 400 segments on it in the first 10 weeks of this year. But the facts are not on Trump or Fox's side on that either. Statistically speaking, immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than U.S.-born citizens are, but you don't hear that on Fox News.
Now, none of this is to say that many communities across the country aren't still grappling with very real incidents of crime or that we should turn away from efforts to reduce crime. But the narrative being pushed here that crime is on a precipitous rise under Biden's Democratic administration is simply false. What facts -- Fox News lacks in facts, it makes up, though, in vibes.
DANA PERINO, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: Democrats will say, "Well, but crime is down. It's not how people feel."
LAURA INGRAHAM, FOX NEWS HOST: We all know communities don't feel safer.
MICHELE TAFOYA, FORMER NFL SIDELINE REPORTER (on Fox News Channel): You do see crime on the rise, and I, you know, President Biden held that whole presser about how crime is down in America. I don't know. Again, it's -- do you believe your lying eyes? Or do you believe the President of the United States?
He just at the White House a few moments ago was just touting a drop in crime statistics. That is not what we're all feeling and seeing.
VELSHI: Don't believe your lying eyes. The reality is that crime in America started spiking in 2020 during the pandemic when Donald Trump was President. But Fox News is taking advantage of a gap between perception and reality here. Polling shows us that almost every year for the past few decades, Americans have felt like the country was getting more dangerous even when it wasn't. And those feelings now have a partisan split to them. Last year, Gallup found that 92 percent of Republicans believe crime rose from the year before compared to 58 percent of Democrats. I wonder why.
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CNN News Central
8:55 a.m. Eastern
JOHN BERMAN: So, this morning, new FBI data is showing violent crime in the United States down six percent -- down 11 percent in cities with one million people or more. Property crime is down four percent. CNN chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst John Miller is here with us now. I just want to put these numbers, in and of themselves, in perspective. Because they've been out there, and I think they pass people by. Historically speaking, how much is crime dropping right now?
JOHN MILLER: So crime is dropping precipitously, but this is also in the context of, in 2020 and 2021, we had a perfect storm in this country. We had "defund the police," we had departments getting smaller, we had district attorneys changing policy, we had pandemic which shut down the courts and stopped trials, so crime went up a lot. So are we down to pre-pandemic numbers in terms of crime? No, we're not. But we are headed back towards normalization, which is a good thing.
BERMAN: Why? Is there a sense of why crime is dropping as much as it is?
MILLER: So some of those things have been reversed. A number of the places that defunded the police found that they had to refund the police because of citizens' concerns about crime. A number of places that changed the laws dramatically have gone to revisit those laws and adjusted them. So you're seeing that. But also there are the very practical things. The courts are back in business, trials are being held, but there are still challenges.
BERMAN: There are still challenges, but what I'm trying to figure out is, crime is moving down, yet Americans' concerns about crime are moving up -- like Gallup has it 63 percent saying it's a big deal which is the highest number ever. So why that disconnect?
MILLER: So that is really interesting, John, because even in the 1990s when crime was at an all-time high -- you had 24,000 murders -- you know, you go up to the mid-2000s when crime is at all-time lows and do surveys -- there was a Pew Research survey, the Gallup survey. When crime is up, people say crime is up, and when crime is down, people still say crime is up because what they're seeing is not necessarily the violent crime but take San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, places where you have a severe homeless problem, mental health issues. They see the chaos around them, and it makes them feel unsafe. And then there's us and social media which is now with every cell phone recording everything live. You know, we're showing those crimes from security camera, social media videos, so it creates this aura that it's always getting worse. Right now, it's getting better.
Right now, it is getting better. I mean, there are entire cable networks that are devoted to making it seem like crime is going up. Look, I'm not saying it isn't a concern to people, but the data is showing that it is moving in the right direction.
So we're having the largest decline in homicides -- 13 percent down -- that we've probably seen -- that's what we're on track to have if it continues in this direction that we've seen in -- in probably recorded history. but it still doesn't bring us back to where we were before. So much work left to be done.
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MSNBC's All In with Chris Hayes
March 21, 2024
8:44 p.m. Eastern
CHRIS HAYES: If you happen to be a frequent viewer of this program, you might be familiar with this chart. The picture paints about as clear as it gets. There was a record spike in violent crime under Donald Trump in 2020 -- it shoots up to the left there. There's been a consistent decline since President Joe Biden took office. The thing about crime data, it takes a long time to aggregate. It's actually gotten worse over time. The chart is based on preliminary information because it takes a while for the full picture to come into focus. These stats trickle out before the FBI drops its final report for the year before, but there's the thing. The Bureau just released some more data -- new data from 2023 -- indicating that, yes, there was a massive drop in crime last year. According to one crime data analyst who spoke to NBC News, when all is said and done, 2023, quote, "We will have seen likely the largest one-year decline in murder that has ever been recorded." It is indisputable the country is getting both safer and more prosperous in the last four years under President Biden. It doesn't seem like that message is getting through, at least not for now. I think it's true for a lot of reasons -- generally related to media consumption.
Local news has a number of mostly financial incentives to hyperfixate on crime, and they do. It's especially true for violent crime, often in a way that's disproportionate to actual statistics. And, of course, right-wing cable news has an obvious political incentive to portray life in President Biden's America as negatively as possible. (montage of 10 different people on Fox News Channel stating that "crime is out of control") I think the media focus is one reason why this message is not getting through, but some of the responsibility also falls on the Biden administration itself which, until recently, hasn't done a great job of articulating the real tangible successes on this front. Which is why it is very interesting to me when earlier this week, the Biden-Harris White House released this statement touting the new data from the FBI and taking credit for making Americans safer. Quote, "Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, which every Republican in Congress voted against, we made the largest ever federal investment at fighting and preventing crime at any time in our history. This record investment in crime reduction is delivering results."
The Biden White House isn't just touting the decline in crime, but they're actually taking credit. They're pointing to legislation investments as the cause. It's a pretty darn good message in an election year.
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CNN's Anderson Cooper 360
ANDERSON COOPER: Now, with significant progress in a problem that voters are hearing plenty about from candidates this year, especially former President, crime. New FBI data showing it fell significantly last year, almost across the board. Property crime mostly down -- violent crime also down -- murder down sharply. Today President Biden touted the new numbers, took a jab at the former President over his record in office, and promised to keep fighting for police funding and a ban on assault weapons. Here now to talk more about this is CNN chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst John Miller. So, John, I mean, the Biden administration.
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MSNBC's Jose Diaz Balart Reports
March 28, 2024
11:58 a.m. Eastern
JOSE DIAZ BALART: Rehema, the former President has been highlighting violent crime in New York City. How does data show -- what does data show about crime in the city?
REHEMA ELLIS: Well, there is a perception that there is a rise in crime because of some high-profile crimes, if you will. But, according to the NYPD, major crimes are down something like 2.3 percent in the city, and this is compared to this time last year. So perception is one thing, and NYPD says the reality is something else.
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MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports
March 28, 2024
12:07 p.m. Eastern
ANDREA MITCHELL: And, Phil, the politics of this election is now turning to Long Island where there's a funeral for NYPD officer Jonathan Diller on Long Island -- Massapequa, Long island. He was killed after approaching an illegally parked car this week. President Biden just spoke with Mayor Adams about the tragedy today. Donald Trump's spokesman says he was invited by the officer's family to the funeral, but the political context is Mr. Trump's claim that crime is rampant in New York City when the statistics show it's actually down. Every incident, every case is horrible, of course. This murder is horrible, of a police officer. But, speaking to the larger issue of whether crime is a terrible problem in New York City.
PHILIP RUCKER, THE WASHINGTON POST: Yeah, Andrea. We saw this in the midterm elections last year actually where a lot of Republicans, including in New York state, were running on crime with some limited success. It was not necessarily a winning issue for Republicans then, but it has been part of Trump's political brand. It's something he has talked about a lot. He's especially tried to link crime to the immigration issue and border security. And I think him going to this funeral today in New York is an attempt by him to try to draw attention to the killing of this police officer and try to blame that on Biden even, as you say, crime is down in New York City. It's down in a lot of cities. It's not actually down in Washington, D.C., here, but it is down in a lot of cities around the country. But, nonetheless, it is a concern that we see registering in polling, especially among suburban voters and some of those voters that Trump is really going to be looking to motivate in the general election. And I think we'll probably continue to see him talk about crime and try to make the state of crime seem a lot worse than the statistics might actually show for purposes of motivating his supporters and persuadable voters out there.
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MSNBC's Katy Tur Reports
March 28, 2024
3:09 p.m. Eastern
KATY TUR: So what about crime? I mean, obviously, former President Trump is trying to use that to his advantage today. Is that going to be a big issue across the country. Violent crime is down, and New York City is obviously a very blue place and will remain a blue place. It's going to take a lot for this city to turn red, but the feeling that New Yorkers have is one that's not so safe, and that feeling when you have news coverage can start to seep into the rest of the country.
DAVE WASSERMAN, THE COOK POLITICAL REPORT: That's right. And what former President Trump does well is utilize these specific incidents whether it is Jonathan Diller or Laken Riley to paint a broader picture of what's happening in the country. It's up to Democrats and President Biden to combat that by pointing to statistics and pointing to a decline in violent crime and a rise in wages. What Democrats desperately need is a forceful communicator on this front. And, although President Biden was combative and aggressive and gave a campaign speech in the State of the Union. These are isolated set pieces, and we're not -- we're not really hearing the President drive this narrative forcefully as President Obama or Clinton might have done in the '90s or in the last decade.
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CNN's The Situation Room
March 28, 2024
5:32 p.m.
JOHN KING: Because crime and immigration are central to the argument that Trump is going to make that you want to change -- you want to change Presidents because you're mad about the border, and you're mad about crime. Now, if you look at crime statistics nationally, most violent crimes are down. If you look at the New York Police Department statistics, most violent crimes are down. But property crimes are up -- motor vehicle thefts are up -- and we've had many crimes including an officer killed in the line of duty that are shocking, and they get a lot of attention on television. And so this is one place where there is a disconnect between the crime statistics and the crime perceptions among voters. And it could be a key issue in the suburbs -- a key issue with swing voters -- a key issue in the place Trump needs to win -- so it's an issue he wants to highlight. Again, statistics tell you that crime is in better shape now than a few years back. However, some of these crimes are so shocking, Wolf, that they stir people. They stir anxiety, and Trump wants to turn that into votes.
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MSNBC's Morning Joe
March 29, 2024
6:30 a.m.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: There's an NBC article that I just now posted on my threads account, and it just shows the facts. I know the facts don't matter to Donald Trump, but crime rates keep dropping. Crime, in fact, the rate is lower now than when Donald Trump was in office -- lower than it was in 2020, even slightly lower than it was in Trump's best year as it pertains to crime in 2019. Murder rates in the last year over the big cities that he's constantly harping on, down 20 percent. Rapes down 16 percent. You can go down the list on and on. The most serious crimes way down. And, again, the overall crime rate for 2022 -- the last year recorded -- the crime rates lower again than Donald Trump's best year in 2019. Certainly a lot lower than 2020. So he'll say what he says, Republicans will keep lying, other news outlets will keep lying about it, and people will whip themselves into a frenzy and say, "What about crime?" And you can show them the facts.
It's just like -- seriously, it's just like I can show people, you know, maybe they're UNC fans where they don't want to know that Alabama won last night. I think it was 79-77, but Alabama beat UNC. And they go, "No, no, no, it's not --no, that's not the truth. It's the fact. It's just a fact. They may not like it, but it's a fact. And that's how Trump extremists have gotten, and it's how cable news networks run. It's their business model to lie about the facts -- to twist and distort reality for for viewers day in, day out, night in, night out.
And when you talk about crime, it's not as low as I want it to be. It's not as low as you want it to be. We've both said we think the bail issue in New York City is a joke. We think cops aren't allowed to do their jobs enough. We think that's a joke. That said, if you look at the numbers, Donald Trump is lying when he says crime rates are way up. They're not. They're down. They're lower than they were when he was President.
WILLIE GEIST: Yeah, that's just a fact. And violent crime, in particular, all the ones you just laid out are down double digits year over year
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CNN News Central
March 29, 2024
7:08 a.m.
JOHN KING: The crime debate is interesting because, overall, violent crime is down, but personal property crime is up, vehicle thefts are up. And it gets a lot of attention on local news and on a certain network that is clearly trying to help the former President. They play it up more than -- maybe out of context a bit.
SARA SIDNER: That's fair enough.
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MSNBC'S Chris Jansing Reports
March 29, 2024
CHRIS JANSING: Less than an hour away on Long Island, Donald Trump was in full attack mode using the funeral of a police officer as a platform to go after Biden. He criticized the lack of law and order -- a message he repeated this morning on Fox News.
DONALD TRUMP (on Fox News): It's getting worse and worse for police because we're not -- we're not taking care of them. We're not -- we're not -- we're not allowing them to do their job properly. (editing jump) ... because this country is going to hell. Our country is not respected anymore. We're really -- I say it in my rallies and my speeches, we're a nation in decline.
JANSING: Well, the facts are that crime in New York City is about where it was a decade ago when it was often referred to as America's safest big city. Violent crime has actually declined all across the country. Rates of rape, robbery and aggravated assault are down even though the polls show Americans believe the crime rate is going up.
