Annoyed that Senate Democrats are blocking a police reform bill, President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the 20 U.S. cities with the highest crime rates are all run by Democrats.
“The Senate Republicans want very much to pass a bill on police reform,” Trump said during a Rose Garden press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda. “I would like to see it happen. We won’t sacrifice. We won’t do that. We won’t do anything that is going to hurt our police.”
The president added:
We have a record positive rating on crime, a record positive rating on crime this year. The best. You hear about certain places like Chicago and you hear about what’s going on in Detroit and other cities, all Democrat-run. Every one of them is Democrat-run. The 20 worst, the 20 most dangerous are Democrat-run.
A quick fact check shows that Trump is at least mostly correct. One ranking says the top 20 most dangerous cities are run by 18 Democrat mayors and two mayors who were elected in nonpartisan races.
According to the website Neighborhood Scout, which in January published a list of the 100 most dangerous cities in America, heavily Democrat Detroit tops the list. At No. 20 is Chester, Pennsylvania, also with a Democrat mayor.
Trump went on to refer to the so-called autonomous zone in central Seattle, where extremists have taken over six city blocks.
“We have one city, two cities in particular, worse than Honduras, worse than Afghanistan. These are cities within the United States, Democrat-run. Radical left-run. You see what’s going on in Seattle. Seattle of all places, who would even think that’s possible,” he said, adding:
The Democrats want to weaken very substantially our law enforcement, our police. Frankly, they want to defund [police departments], at least largely. Some want to defund and abolish our police. If nothing happens with [police reform], it’s one of those things. We had different philosophies. They want open borders. They want sanctuary cities. We don’t.
Here is the Neighborhood Scout ranking of the most crime-ridden cities and their mayors.
1. Detroit
Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 20.0
Odds of being a victim: 1 in 50
Mayor: Michael Edward Duggan, Democrat
2. Memphis, Tennessee
Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 19.5
Odds of being a victim: 1 in 51
Mayor: Jim Strickland, Democrat
3. Birmingham, Alabama
Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 19.3
Odds of being a victim: 1 in 52
Mayor: Randall Woodfin, Democrat
4. Baltimore
Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 18.5
Odds of being a victim: 1 in 54
Mayor: Jack Young, Democrat
5. Flint, Michigan
Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 18.3
Odds of being a victim: 1 in 55
Mayor: Sheldon Neely, Democrat
6. St. Louis
Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 18.2
Odds of being a victim: 1 in 55
Mayor: Lyda Krewson, Democrat
7. Danville, Illinois
Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 18.0
Odds of being a victim: 1 in 55
Mayor: Ricky Williams Jr. (nonpartisan election)
8. Saginaw, Michigan
Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 16.7
Odds of being a victim: 1 in 60
Mayor: Floyd Kloc (nonpartisan election)
9. Wilmington, Delaware
Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 16.3
Odds of being a victim: 1 in 61
Mayor: Mike Purzycki, Democrat
10. Camden, New Jersey
Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 16.2
Odds of being a victim: 1 in 62
Mayor: Francisco Moran, Democrat
11. Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 16.0
Odds of being a victim: 1 in 62
Mayor: Shirley Washington, Democrat
12. Kansas City, Missouri
Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 15.9
Odds of being a victim: 1 in 63
Mayor: Quinton Lucas, Democrat
13. San Bernardino, California
Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 15.3
Odds of being a victim: 1 in 65
Mayor: John Valdivia, Democrat
14. Alexandria, Louisiana
Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 14.6
Odds of being a victim: 1 in 68
Mayor: Jeffrey Hall, Democrat
15. Little Rock, Arkansas
Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 14.6
Odds of being a victim: 1 in 68
Mayor: Frank Scott Jr., Democrat
16. Cleveland
Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 14.5
Odds of being a victim: 1 in 69
Mayor: Frank Jackson, Democrat
17. Milwaukee
Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 14.3
Odds of being a victim: 1 in 70
Mayor: Tom Barrett, Democrat
18. Stockton, California
Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 14.2
Odds of being a victim: 1 in 70
Mayor: Michael Tubbs, Democrat
19. Monroe, Louisiana
Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 14.1
Odds of being a victim: 1 in 71
Mayor: James Earl Mayo, Democrat
20. Chester, Pennsylvania
Violent crime rate (per 1,000 residents): 14.0
Odds of being a victim: 1 in 71
Mayor: Thaddeus Kirkland, Democrat
This story was updated to include current information on the cities of Alexandria, Louisiana and Flint, Michigan.
