Trump's Claims on Washington D.C.'s Crime Rate Scrutinized and Found Deceptive by CNN's Truth Squad
Washington, D.C., a city known for its political significance, has been in the spotlight recently due to concerns about its crime rate. However, it's essential to delve deeper into the facts to understand the current situation more accurately.
Firstly, it's important to clarify that the city's homicide rate is currently very high, particularly in 2024. According to the most recent data available, D.C.'s homicide rate in 2024 was 27.3 per 100,000 residents, which is extremely high and reportedly the fourth-highest in the U.S. [1] However, there is no explicit 2023 rate data in the source or a direct comparison to previous years to confirm 2023 as the peak year.
The assertion that Washington, D.C.'s murder rate in 2023 reached the highest ever, as claimed by President Donald Trump, cannot be fully confirmed or denied based on the available information. The White House source from August 2025 highlights a sharp increase from 2012 (13.9 per 100,000) to 2024 (27.3 per 100,000), but it does not mention 2023 specifically or directly address Daniel Dale’s fact-check regarding Trump’s claim. [1]
In contrast to President Trump's claims, D.C. did not have an all-time high in murder in 2023; it was worse during the crack crisis of the '80s and early '90s.
Another point of contention has been the increase in carjackings. In 2023, there was a significant spike in carjackings in D.C., but since then, the number has decreased. Interestingly, in July 2025, the number of carjackings reported was the fewest reported in more than five years in D.C., down more than 87% from the same month in 2023. [1]
President Trump announced the deployment of 800 National Guard troops to combat Washington, D.C.'s purportedly skyrocketing crime. However, it's worth noting that the officially reported violent crime rate in D.C. in 2024 was the second-lowest since 1966.
In summary, while D.C.'s murder rate is exceptionally high and rising, concrete confirmation that 2023 was the record peak—and whether Trump’s claim is accurate despite Daniel Dale’s debunk—cannot be definitively determined from the given evidence. The city's crime situation is not an ongoing crime spike, as President Trump suggested during his press conference.
References: [1] Dale, D. (2025, August). Fact-checking President Trump's claims about crime in Washington, D.C. CNN. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/01/politics/trump-dc-crime-fact-check/index.html
- Despite President Trump's claims, the city's murder rate in 2023 was not the all-time high, as it was worse during the crack crisis of the '80s and early '90s.
- The general-news reports concerning Washington, D.C.'s crime situation indicate that while the murder rate is currently high, the officially reported violent crime rate in D.C. in 2024 was the second-lowest since 1966, contrary to President Trump's suggestion of an ongoing crime spike.
