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Washington DC’s Recent Homicide-Free Streak Misrepresented by Trump Administration
A recent claim by President Donald Trump that Washington D.C. experienced its first extended period without homicides “in years” has been contradicted by official data from the Metropolitan Police Department.
During an August 25 White House ceremony where he signed executive orders targeting no-cash-bail policies, Trump stated: “In the last 11 days, we’ve had no murders and that’s the first time that’s taken place in years, actually years. We always have a murderer a week. They call it a murder a week.” The president later reiterated this claim, saying authorities “haven’t seen that happen in years.”
However, Metropolitan Police Department data reveals the capital experienced a 16-day homicide-free period earlier this year, from February 25 to March 12—contradicting the president’s assertion. The most recent streak ended at 12 days when a homicide was reported early on August 26, according to local news reports.
Other administration officials echoed Trump’s inaccurate claim. Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy, stated: “We’ve checked the records. No one can even find a record of being murder free for as long as we’ve been murder free under President Trump’s leadership.” Vice President JD Vance credited the administration with saving “six or seven lives.”
The administration’s claims came in the context of Trump’s August 11 announcement of a federal takeover of the city’s police force, including National Guard deployments and a surge of federal law enforcement officers to address what he termed a “crime emergency.”
Crime data for the capital shows Washington has recorded 103 homicides so far in 2025, averaging approximately three per week. This follows 187 homicides in 2024, which marked a significant decrease from 274 in 2023. While the 2023 murder rate of 39 per 100,000 population was the highest in two decades, it remained half the peak rate recorded in 1991, and has been declining since 2023.
When asked about the discrepancy in the president’s statement, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers sidestepped the specific claim about homicide-free periods, stating: “Here are the facts: Violent crime has been plaguing the streets of Washington, DC for years – in just two weeks, President Trump’s bold action has stopped the senseless killings, removed over one thousand violent criminals from the streets, and overall crime has decreased.”
The MPD crime cards website does show reductions in violent and property crimes since August 11 compared to the same period last year, with most violent crime reductions coming in robberies. However, crime analysis experts caution against drawing quick conclusions about the effectiveness of federal interventions.
Jeff Asher, co-founder of AH Datalytics, a data consulting firm specializing in crime statistics, noted that the recent crime data is “very preliminary” and could take weeks or up to two months for complete reporting. “There is some underreporting of data when using a raw dataset like this,” Asher explained.
He also pointed out that crime trends in Washington were “already going down” before the federal intervention, making it difficult to attribute recent decreases specifically to the administration’s actions. For context, Asher noted that violent crime in the city had dropped 34% for the two weeks ending June 29 compared to the previous two weeks, and was 51% lower than the same period in 2024—without any federal intervention.
“No intervention or anything, just randomness disguised as meaning,” Asher said, adding that more time would be needed to determine the actual impact of federal law enforcement actions in the district.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia reported in January that violent crime overall for 2024 was down 35% from the previous year and was “the lowest it has been in over 30 years,” though the Trump administration has questioned these statistics and launched an investigation into the matter.
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8 Comments
While any homicide-free period is welcome news, it’s concerning that the administration seems to be misrepresenting the facts. Maintaining public trust requires providing truthful data.
You’re right, credibility is key. Exaggerating or distorting statistics, even with good intentions, can undermine faith in government and lead to further mistrust.
It’s troubling to see the administration making claims that don’t align with the police department’s own data. Transparent and accountable reporting of crime statistics is crucial.
I agree, this type of inaccurate information can sow confusion and erode public confidence. It’s critical that officials provide factual, unbiased data on public safety.
Interesting to see the discrepancy between the administration’s claims and the actual police data. It’s important to verify facts, especially when it comes to public safety statistics.
Absolutely, transparency and accuracy are critical when discussing such sensitive issues. Fact-checking helps ensure the public has reliable information.
While any reduction in homicides is positive, the administration’s exaggeration of the facts is concerning. Maintaining trust requires a commitment to truthfulness and data integrity.
This discrepancy highlights the importance of checking official sources rather than relying solely on political rhetoric. Fact-based reporting is essential for an informed public.