Trump implied that crime in Chicago — “Obama’s hometown” — went up during his presidency: “4,000 killed in Chicago since the beginning of [the presidency of] Obama,” he said.
It’s a claim Trump repeats a lot — but it’s not true. Crime in Chicago is at about the same level as it was during George W. Bush’s tenure in office, and has trended downward overall.
Crime is out of control, and rapidly getting worse. Look what is going on in Chicago and our inner cities. Not good!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2016
It’s true that Chicago experienced a jump in shootings and homicides this year. However, overall, violent crime throughout the city as a whole has declined steadily for 15 years.
And, even accounting for the spike in homicides this year, the overall rate has hovered around the same level since Obama took office, and is currently around where it was during President George W. Bush’s later years in office.
The decrease in crime levels in Chicago corresponds with the overall decrease in violent crime and homicide in moderate and large cities nationwide, as seen in data collected by the Congressional Research Service and the FBI.