In this video, we review six claims we fact-checked in the first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Video: The First Debate
Issues: crime rate
Trump Wrong on Crime Record
President Donald Trump wrongly claimed that “our crime statistics are at a level that they haven’t been at,” calling the numbers “record setting.” The U.S. murder rate was lower in 2014, and the violent crime rate overall has been lower in several past years, with the lowest levels decades ago, according to FBI data.
Trump’s Numbers (Second Quarterly Update)
Statistical measures of how things have changed since the president took office.
Groundhog Friday
On his so-called “victory tour,” President-elect Donald Trump has been repeating some inaccurate talking points that we’ve flagged before.
Obama’s Numbers October 2016 Update
Our last update on statistical indicators of the Obama presidency before his successor is elected.
Dueling Claims on Crime Trend
President Barack Obama said there have been “huge drops in the murder rates” in cities like New York, Los Angeles and Dallas. Donald Trump said “violent crime has increased in cities across America.” Which is it? We’ll score this one for Obama.
Violent Crimes and Handgun Ownership
Q: Are violent crimes more or less common in areas where handgun ownership is higher?
A: Some studies have found that murder rates (not crime rates in general) are higher where guns are more prevalent. But social scientists have not found a direct causal relationship between the two factors.