The violent crime rate is at its lowest level in 126 years.
Posted by Speaker Mike Johnson, Checked
- Sources
- 1 contradict3 support4 context
- Said
- 2 times·
- Confidence
- 55%
Speaker Mike Johnson@SpeakerJohnsonOct 30, 2026Violent crime has fallen sharply and the 126-year-low framing is documented, but for homicides (CCJ, DHS, White House, all projecting the first half of 2026), not for the overall violent crime rate.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… history as well, $1.6 trillion to try to get the government to work more efficiently and effectively. We cut massive Biden era regulations. We got the economy going again. We have Trump accounts for newborns, the first ever nationwide school choice program. We have the lowest violent crime in 126 years. Biggest decline in prescription drug cost in 60 years. We got back to American energy dominance and peace through strength. A million jobs added in the private sector alone in the last 19 months. It goes on and on and on. …
Speaker Mike Johnson@SpeakerJohnson · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Contradicts. The FBI says the national murder rate of 4.1 per 100,000 equals the 1955 and 1956 rates, so it is tied with those years rather than below them, which cuts against a strict record low over 126 years for that measure.[3]
Supports. The White House, DHS and the Council on Criminal Justice all report that homicides in the first half of 2026 were down about 18% and on pace for the lowest level in at least 126 years.[4][5][6]
Supports. The FBI reports that violent crime fell in 2025 for a second consecutive year and calls it the largest reduction in violent crime in U.S. history.[3]
Context. The 126-year claim appears in the quoted statements of Speaker Johnson and in PBS and AP coverage of it; FactCheck.org notes Trump's version was 'lowest level of violent crime in 125 years since 1900,' so the figure and the period vary by speaker.[1][2][7]
Context. The claim as extracted says 'violent crime rate,' while the quoted passage says 'violent crime rate' only in Johnson's words; USAFacts reports a 2025 violent crime rate of 327.6 per 100,000 down 9.7% from 2024, with no 126-year comparison stated.[1][8]
Sources
8 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 2 primary, 2 not rated, 1 rated low, 1 tier 2
- 1FactChecking Day Two of the GOP Midterm Conventionfactcheck.org · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 2apnews.com › article › crime-midterms-republicans-trump-4a181Republicans return to tough-on-crime message before difficult...apnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 3Violent Crime Falls at Historic Rate, New FBI Data Show — FBIfbi.gov · primary source · cited for: contradicts, supports
- 4Crime Plummets to Another Historic Low Under President ...whitehouse.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 5US on Track to Have Historically Low Number of Homicides in 2026, ...ground.news · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6Murders on Pace to Drop to a 126-Year Low Following Illegal ...theepochtimes.com · rated low for factual reporting by Iffy.news · cited for: supports
- 7Republicans focus on tough-on-crime message before ...pbs.org · tier 2 · cited for: context
- 8Is crime going up or down in the US?usafacts.org · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 2 published posts