Buttigieg Defends Biden’s Crime Record on Fox News: “Crime Went Up Under Trump”
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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg engaged in a heated exchange with “Fox & Friends” host Lawrence Jones over violent crime and gun safety during a Tuesday morning appearance on the conservative network. Buttigieg, who was in Chicago, defended President Joe Biden’s record in response to Jones’ assertion that violent crime had increased nearly 10 percent across 66 major cities.
“Buttigieg quickly countered, “Certainly, the Biden-Harris record for bringing crime down compared to why crime went up under Donald Trump, and I often wonder whether viewers of this network are aware that violent crime went up under Donald Trump.” He argued that this issue deserved more media coverage, allowing Americans to question why crime surged during Trump’s tenure, told the Washington Examiner.
Jones pushed back, highlighting concerns from Black Americans he had spoken with, who were frustrated with the Democratic Party over the persistent crime, particularly gun violence, in their communities. “You guys sent the cavalry in for you guys, for your protection, but the people of Chicago don’t see that on a day-to-day basis,” Jones challenged. “What are you guys going to do to stop the bloodshed in our communities?”
Buttigieg, a former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, acknowledged the challenges of addressing crime, reflecting on his own experience in dealing with gun violence. “The big question, I think, for politics, for policy, for media, is who is going to help them versus who is going to use them,” Buttigieg remarked, emphasizing the importance of real action over political posturing.
As the discussion grew more intense, Jones questioned whether Buttigieg believed he was exploiting the concerns of grieving mothers to criticize the Democratic record. Buttigieg responded, “I’m saying that mother is asking the exact right question, and the question is: What are you going to actually do when you come into office?”
The two continued to spar, with Jones pressing Buttigieg for specific policies Democrats had implemented to reduce gun violence. Buttigieg pointed out that a significant majority of Americans, including many Republicans, support gun safety legislation that GOP lawmakers have consistently opposed. He cited the assault weapons ban as an example of an effective policy that had contributed to a reduction in crime.
“Donald Trump says no, the Republican Party says no,” Buttigieg stated, before reminiscing about visiting Chicago as a child when crime and murder rates were high. He praised the ongoing efforts to reduce crime in the city, despite Jones noting that over 20 people were shot in Chicago just last week.
Buttigieg challenged the notion of electing leaders who oppose gun violence measures, asking, “Then why would we elect leaders who won’t do anything about gun violence?” When Jones retorted by asking him to name a Republican in charge in Chicago, Buttigieg shot back, “Not only did we have those levels of crime under Democratic and Republican leaders, but if you’ll try to cherry-pick this for partisan purposes, you want to play that game?”
The debate highlighted the deep divisions over how to address violent crime and gun safety in America, with Buttigieg firmly defending the Biden administration’s record while calling out what he sees as the GOP’s refusal to take meaningful action on the issue.
