Trump administration takes credit for largest-ever drop in murder rate

Published January 22, 2026 1:00pm ET



FBI Director Kash Patel credited the Trump administration’s law-and-order policies for producing the U.S.’s largest-ever drop in murders in the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term.

The Council on Criminal Justice released a report, notably leaving out the top two murder rates in national cities per capita, showing that U.S. murders dropped by 21% in 2025. The report, which analyzed data from 40 large cities, showed the largest single-year decline on record.

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