Recent FBI data shows a 3% decrease in violent crimes in the U.S. in 2023, while hate crimes saw a 2% increase, reaching 11,862 reported incidents. Murder and rape rates also dropped significantly, reflecting an 11.6% and 9.4% decrease, respectively.
This upward trend in hate crimes has been consistent over the years, with bias against Black individuals being a significant driver. Despite these numbers, Republican candidate Donald Trump’s claims of rising violent crime, often targeted at his rival Kamala Harris, have been refuted by official statistics.
While violent crime in the U.S. overall has fallen by 49% since 1993, the pandemic caused a spike in murder rates, leading to the largest year-over-year increase in history. Trump’s proposed policies include the death penalty for human traffickers and drug dealers, reflecting his skepticism of federal crime data suggesting otherwise.