Crime has fallen beyond several pre-Covid benchmarks, and a president who made public safety a priority deserves recognition.
Americans have endured years of disturbing headlines about shootings, carjackings, and communities struggling to recover from the pandemic. Now comes news worth celebrating: The country is getting safer. In several major categories, crime has fallen below its pre-Covid level. The murder rate has matched the lowest recorded in the FBI’s national estimates.
President Donald Trump deserves substantial credit for making public safety a governing priority. His administration has emphasized support for police and cooperation against violent criminals. These results give that approach a strong political argument, even though the statistics cannot assign any president a precise share of the improvement.
The FBI’s figures are extraordinary.
In 2025, murder and nonnegligent manslaughter offenses fell an estimated 18.1%. Robbery declined 18.5%, rape 7.6%, and aggravated assault 7.2%. The national murder rate reached 4.1 killings per 100,000 residents, matching 1955 and 1956 for the lowest in the bureau’s historical estimates. Participating agencies covered 96.2% of the population.
This represents more than recovery from the pandemic’s violent upheaval. In the FBI’s published 2019 figures, the murder rate was 5.0 per 100,000. The 2025 rate was approximately 18% lower. Robbery fell from 81.6 to 49.4 per 100,000, an improvement of roughly 39%. These comparisons show how far the country has progressed beyond its immediate pre-Covid baseline.
Overall violent crime reached 327.6 offenses per 100,000 residents in 2025, compared with 366.7 in 2019. Property crime fell from 2,109.9 to 1,534.8, approximately 27% lower. Behind those national averages are people spared the trauma of an attack, a stolen vehicle, or a violated home. Public safety has consequences that reach well beyond a statistical table.
The distinction between fewer offenses and lower rates is useful here. Rates account for population growth, allowing a fairer comparison between years. A growing country can experience more incidents while individual risk falls. These figures show improvements in that risk.
The encouraging trend continued into 2026. The Council on Criminal Justice found first-half homicides down 18% across participating cities compared with the same period in 2025. Robbery fell 17%, carjacking 47%, and motor vehicle theft 20%. The homicide rate in its study cities was 51% below its first-half 2022 level. These are city-sample findings, but they strengthen the evidence of sustained progress.
Trump’s supporters have reason to welcome these developments. Under FBI Director Kash Patel, the bureau describes streamlining the process for bringing partner officers onto task forces and integrating agents with other federal agencies. Patel credits cooperation among federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement. That emphasis deserves support: Criminal activity crosses jurisdictional boundaries, and effective enforcement must follow it.
The decline began before Trump returned to office. Recognizing that fact makes the argument for his leadership more credible. He inherited an improving trend, prioritized enforcement, and presided over exceptional further gains. The strongest case for giving him the largest share of political credit rests on his administration’s priorities and results; research has yet to establish his share of the causes.
There are also unfinished problems. The city study found increases in reported domestic violence, sexual assault, and shoplifting during the first half of 2026. National progress offers little comfort to someone whose neighborhood remains dangerous. Sustaining the improvement requires attention to those places and offenses.
Falling crime also creates an opportunity to reduce incarceration responsibly. Researchers argue that younger generations are entering adulthood with less criminal involvement, potentially reducing future prison admissions. Fewer people committing serious crimes means fewer victims and fewer families experiencing imprisonment. Effective policing and a smaller correctional system can develop together.
A president committed to law enforcement should welcome that outcome. Success means preventing harm and holding dangerous offenders accountable. As those efforts succeed, communities gain freedom, businesses gain confidence, and correctional resources can reflect actual need.
America has endured enough bad news to recognize good news when it arrives. Trump made safety a priority. The country is experiencing remarkable improvements. He deserves credit — and Americans deserve to hear about them.
(Contributing writer, Brooke Bell)