By Paul Krugman / The New York Times
Donald Trump has a thing about crime. His 2017 inaugural speech was all about “American carnage,” the wave of violence he claimed was sweeping the nation’s cities. His acceptance speech Thursday night returned repeatedly to the theme of rampant crime, supposedly rising because Latin American nations are dumping their convicts in the United States.
When Trump proclaimed “American carnage,” the nation had just experienced an epic decline in crime that left our cities safer than they had been in decades. There actually was a surge in crime during his last year in office, probably reflecting social disruptions caused by the pandemic, but crime has rapidly declined under President Biden. At this point our cities may be as safe as they have ever been.
So what is it about Trump and crime? It’s surely not about personal experience; when was the last time he saw city streets other than through the tinted glass of a limousine window? But I’m not sure it’s entirely political calculation, either. It’s hard to escape the sense that Trump wants to believe that America has been overrun by violent criminals.
We can only speculate about his motives. But my guess, based on Trump’s record, from his demand that the Central Park Five face the death penalty to his interest in shooting protesters, is that Trump wants to believe in rampant crime — never mind the facts — because he wants an excuse to punish people.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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