“You Get Shot, You Get Mugged, You Get Whatever”: Trump Dodges Interview After Crime Claims Questioned in Michigan
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During a campaign stop in Howell, Michigan, on Tuesday, Donald Trump took to the stage with his usual fervor, warning supporters of a “crime wave” sweeping the nation under the leadership of his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris. However, when pressed to provide evidence for his alarming claims, the former president abruptly canceled a scheduled interview with a local newspaper, sparking further questions about the validity of his statements.
Trump, who has often portrayed himself as a law-and-order candidate, painted a grim picture of American cities, particularly those led by Democrats. “In bigger cities, almost all run by Democrats, Americans can’t even walk across the street to get a loaf of bread. You get shot. You get mugged. You get raped. You get whatever it may be,” he declared to his supporters. “The amount of crime that we have is unbelievable.”
The stark rhetoric drew applause from the crowd, but it also drew scrutiny from reporters at The Detroit News. According to state politics reporter Craig Mauger, the Trump campaign had initially agreed to a post-speech interview with the newspaper. However, the plans changed abruptly when the newspaper began asking about crime data in Michigan before the event.
A campaign aide informed the paper that Trump no longer had time for the interview after his speech, leaving reporters without the chance to challenge the candidate on his claims. Trump’s assertions of a rampant crime wave stand in contrast to national crime data. During his presidency, violent crime rates did decrease from 2017 to 2019. However, 2020 saw a significant spike, reaching 398.5 incidents per 100,000 people.
In contrast, under President Joe Biden, the violent crime rate dropped in 2021 and 2022, with the latest figures showing 380.7 incidents per 100,000 people. Despite these statistics, the Trump campaign dismissed the FBI’s data as “totally unreliable,” arguing that the figures were based on “estimated crime numbers” from non-reporting law enforcement agencies.
Michigan-specific data also challenges Trump’s narrative. According to the Michigan State Police, violent crime in the state increased by 12 percent between 2019 and 2020, the final full year of Trump’s presidency. The rate then rose by another 1 percent during Biden’s first year in office before dropping by about 7 percent the following year.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a vocal critic of Trump, seized on the discrepancy, questioning the former president’s claims during a Fox News appearance. “Why would Michigan want to go back to the higher crime rates of the Trump years?” Buttigieg asked, casting doubt on Trump’s ability to deliver on his promises of reducing crime.
The incident in Howell underscores the ongoing battle over crime statistics and their interpretation, as Trump continues to use fear of rising crime as a central theme in his campaign, even as the facts paint a more nuanced picture.
