Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino accused mainstream media of downplaying a historic decline in violent crime that he says occurred during the Trump administration. He highlighted increased arrests, record drug seizures and the capture of high-priority fugitives while in office. A Council on Criminal Justice report found declines in 11 of 13 crime categories across 40 major U.S. cities in 2025 and suggested 2025 homicides may be the lowest on record pending full FBI data. Experts say nationwide attribution requires additional data and analysis.
Dan Bongino Says Media Are 'Downplaying' Historic Drop In Violent Crime
Then-Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino conducts a news conference at the Department of Justice on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.(Getty Images)
Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino sharply criticized mainstream media outlets for what he described as efforts to minimize a historic decline in violent crime that he says took place during the Trump administration. Bongino, who stepped down from the deputy director role this month after a roughly one-year assignment, said the bureau achieved measurable operational gains while he served.
Bongino's Claims: He said the FBI substantially increased arrests of violent offenders, seized record quantities of illicit drugs and captured multiple fugitives from the bureau's most-wanted list.
“The murder rate is the lowest it’s been since 1900,” Bongino said on “Hannity.” “By definition, there’s no modern precedent for that.”
On Thursday, the Council on Criminal Justice published a report analyzing crime trends in 40 major U.S. cities. The study found that 11 of 13 tracked crime categories fell in 2025 compared with 2024 and said violent crime overall declined to its lowest level since 2019. The report also noted a “strong likelihood that once nationwide data for jurisdictions of all sizes is reported by the FBI later this year, the 2025 homicide level may be the lowest ever recorded,” citing historical records back to 1900.
Then-FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, left, accompanied by Attorney General Pam Bondi, center, and FBI Director Kash Patel, right, speaks during a news conference on the arrest of a suspect in the January 6 pipe bomber case at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 4, 2025.
Bongino accused outlets such as Axios and The New York Times of acknowledging the drop in crime while minimizing or questioning the Trump administration’s role. He cited an Axios article that noted violent crime and homicides were down but observed the trend had begun earlier, including a two-decade low during President Biden's final year. Bongino pushed back: “There's a thousand excuses as to why President Trump and his administration didn't do it. Meanwhile, I lived it. I know what we did and didn’t do.”
He also criticized a New York Times piece that quoted current and former employees suggesting FBI leadership under Director Kash Patel was harming public safety. Bongino dismissed those critics as lacking law-enforcement experience and used blunt language to express his frustration with the coverage.
Context and Caveats: While the Council on Criminal Justice report highlights notable declines in many categories of city crime, experts caution that attributing causation to specific policies or administrations requires comprehensive, nationwide data and careful analysis. The FBI's full national data for 2025 has not yet been released, and researchers typically consider multiple factors—economic conditions, local enforcement strategies, demographic shifts, and reporting practices—when assessing crime trends.
What’s Next: The FBI is expected to publish nationwide data later this year, which analysts say will provide a clearer picture of 2025 crime trends and help determine whether the declines seen in the 40-city sample reflect a broader national pattern.
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