Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
US President Donald Trump used a visit to New York on Friday to highlight his record on crime and safety, turning to an issue seen as one of his strongest as he tries to help Republicans in battleground races ahead of the November midterms. The event at the Nassau County police academy on Long Island was expected to focus on new FBI crime data showing a fall in violent crime in 2025.
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However, the event quickly took on a strongly political tone. With uniformed local police officers behind him on stage, Trump attacked Democrats, promoted his record and backed Republican candidates, even as questions remain over how much his presence will help candidates in his home state amid weak approval ratings and an unpopular war in Iran with no clear end.
Trump briefly referred to the new crime figures, but soon returned to his usual attacks, calling his opponents “Radical Left Democrats” and his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, “Sleepy Joe”. At one point, he said, “We call them Dumb-ocrats now because their policies are so dumb. Fighting to defund the police. Does that play well in this room?” as he turned to look at the officers behind him.
He also criticised New York Governor Kathy Hochul and described state Attorney General Letitia James as “a real slob” and “a disgrace”. James had successfully sued Trump and his companies for financial fraud. Last year, the Justice Department secured a mortgage fraud indictment against James, but the case was later dismissed after a judge ruled that the prosecutor who charged her and another Trump adversary, former FBI Director James Comey, had been illegally appointed.
Trump also spoke about his deployment of the National Guard to cities across the US, including Washington. He repeatedly said that “young, beautiful girls in the White House” had thanked him for making the capital safer. It was not clear whom he meant, but he said, “These young, these gorgeous, beautiful girls are — they want to be safe.” He added, “Two years ago, we were in a hellhole, and now we have one of the safest cities.”
The FBI statistics released on Friday showed that the US homicide rate had fallen to its lowest level in 75 years. The report on 2025 crime statistics also said overall violent crime fell 9.3 per cent last year. Experts noted that violent crime rates nationally have been falling since 2022, and said it was difficult to identify a single reason for the decline.
Along with crime, Trump promoted his tariff policies and the tax cuts and spending law passed last year. He also suggested that tax breaks on overtime would be popular with police officers. Many of his political attacks drew a stronger reaction from Trump supporters in the audience than from the uniformed officers on stage, with the crowd cheering and booing on cue.
Standing to the side of the stage were US Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel, both of whom spoke before Trump to warm up the crowd. Their appearance at an event partly aimed at helping Republican candidates marked a break from longstanding norms under which top US law enforcement officials generally avoided overtly political events. Actor Kelsey Grammer was also among the guests of honour.
Trump narrowly won Nassau County in 2024, flipping it to the Republicans in the largely Democratic state for the first time in more than two decades. The county, which has one of the largest police forces in the US, also has two Democratic-held House seats that Republicans believe they can win this autumn, and it is the political base of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the Trump-backed Republican challenging Hochul. Overall, Trump used the visit to combine a message on falling crime with sharp political attacks and support for Republican candidates in a key part of New York.
With PTI Inputs
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
