President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Chicago is the “murder capital of the world.” However, according to the latest FBI crime data, more than 20 other U.S. cities have higher murder rates.
Why It Matters
Trump has suggested the idea of federalizing the National Guard to handle crime in big cities led by Democrats. He previously sent the National Guard to Washington, D.C., earlier in August.
Illinois leaders have criticized the idea of sending troops to Chicago, noting that other cities have higher overall crime rates. They also point out that murders in Chicago have fallen in recent years after a nationwide crime increase during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If Trump tries to send National Guard troops into Chicago without the governor’s approval, it would likely lead to legal challenges. Presidents can only send troops in certain situations.
What to Know
Trump wrote on Truth Social Tuesday morning: “CHICAGO IS THE MURDER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD!”
He later told reporters he plans to send federal troops to Chicago but did not give a date. “Well, we’re going in. I didn’t say when. We’re going in,” he said. “I have an obligation—this isn’t a political thing. I have an obligation. When 20 people are killed over the past two and a half weeks and 75 are shot with bullets.”
FBI data from 2024 shows Chicago had the most cases of “murder and nonnegligent manslaughter” in the U.S. But when taking population into account, several cities actually have higher murder rates.
In 2024, Chicago had about 17.5 murders for every 100,000 people, according to the FBI report.
Here are cities with over 100,000 residents that had higher murder rates than Chicago, according to the FBI:
- Birmingham, Alabama (58.8)
- St. Louis, Missouri (54.1)
- Memphis, Tennessee (40.6)
- Baltimore, Maryland (34.8)
- Detroit, Michigan (31.2)
- Cleveland, Ohio (30)
- Dayton, Ohio (29.7)
- Kansas City, Missouri (27.6)
- Shreveport, Louisiana (26.8)
- Washington, D.C. (25.5)
- Richmond, Virginia (24.2)
- South Fulton, Georgia (22.2)
- Cincinnati, Ohio (21.8)
- Louisville, Kentucky (21.7)
- Indianapolis, Indiana (20)
- Oakland, California (18.6)
- Albuquerque, New Mexico (18.4)
- Montgomery, Alabama (18.1)
- Minneapolis, Minnesota (18)
- Lancaster, California (17.7)
- Little Rock, Arkansas (17.6)
- Hartford, Connecticut (17.6)
Over the weekend, Chicago experienced more than 50 shootings and seven deaths while Trump threatened federal action over crime.
What People Are Saying
A spokesperson for Johnson told Newsweek: “Despite the misinformation the President has spread about our city, according to FBI data Chicago doesn’t even scratch the top 25 most violent cities in the country. President Trump would rather echo tired narratives about Chicago and our residents instead of actually doing the hard work of building safer communities.
In Chicago we’re doing the work—we have effectively reduced all forms of violent crime through constitutional policing, violence prevention, and critical investments in our communities. Over the past year alone, we have seen a more than 30% reduction in homicides, a 32% reduction in robberies, and an almost 40% reduction in shootings. We need to keep building on this progress.”
Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, said last week: “This is not about fighting crime. This is about Donald Trump searching for any justification to deploy the military in a blue city in a blue state. This is about the president of the United States and his complicit lackey Stephen Miller searching for ways to lay the groundwork to circumvent our democracy, militarize our cities and end elections. There is no emergency in Chicago that calls for armed military intervention. There is no insurrection.”
President Trump also said last week: “As you all know, Chicago is a killing field right now, and they don’t acknowledge it. And they say, ‘We don’t need him. Freedom, freedom. He’s a dictator.’ A lot of people are saying, ‘Maybe we’d like a dictator.’ I don’t like a dictator. I’m not a dictator. I’m a man with great common sense, and I’m a smart person.”
Vice President JD Vance added Thursday in LaCrosse, Wisconsin: “We’re not too far from Chicago. Chicago has had a lot of crime problems. Why is it that you have mayors and governors who are angrier about Donald Trump offering to help them than they are about the fact that their own residents are being carjacked and murdered in the streets? It doesn’t make an ounce of sense.”
What Happens Next
Any attempt to send National Guard troops into Chicago will likely face legal challenges.
