Democrats have objected to President Donald Trump‘s deployment of National Guard troops to combat violent crime in Washington, D.C. Their resistance to improving safety and lowering crime is just the latest example of their tendency to protect criminals rather than defend innocent Americans.

As hundreds of innocent people have been victimized by carjackings, shootings, burglaries, and assaults, and hundreds have been murdered in recent years, Democrats have maintained that the extra steps Trump has taken to protect innocent people are unnecessary. To support their claims, they have cited the oft-repeated claim of “crime is decreasing.” While this is true, it is also very misleading — and arguably intellectually disingenuous.