Skip to content
Apply
Stories

Fact-checking Joe Biden’s comparison of violent crime and murders data

People in this story

Detroit Free Press, September 2020

Joe Biden told voters that President Donald Trump doesn’t have his facts straight when it comes to public safety, despite Trump’s attempts to cast himself as a law-and-order candidate and Biden as the symbol of chaos. 

“If Donald Trump wants to ask the question: Who will keep you safer as president? Let’s answer that question. First, some simple facts,” Biden said in Pittsburgh on Aug. 31. “When I was vice president, violent crime fell 15% in this country. We did it without chaos and disorder. And yes, we did it with Democratic mayors in most of the major cities in this country. The murder rate now is up 26% across the nation this year under Donald Trump. Do you feel really safer under Donald Trump?”

PolitiFact decided to fact-check Biden’s “simple facts.” We found that his claim is partly accurate and needs context. 

Continue reading at Detroit Free Press.

More Stories

05/06/26 - BOSTON, MA. - Kris Manjapra, Stearns Trustee Professor of History and Global Studies, poses for a portrait on May 6, 2026. Manjapra was recently named a 2026-2027 Guggenheim Fellow for intellectual and cultural history. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Northeastern professor will explore colonialism in the afterlife as part of Guggenheim Fellowship

05.08.2026
The U.S. Supreme Court is seen Friday, April 17, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Louisiana v. Callais: Can states legally redraw congressional maps this close to an election?

05.08.2026

FHP searches Black drivers 2X more than Whites in 25 Florida counties

05.08.26
In the News