Trump Calls North Carolina 'One Of The Worst' For Crime — FBI Data And State Reports Offer A More Nuanced Picture

President Donald Trump accused former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper of presiding over a crime surge in the state during a campaign rally for Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley, calling the Tar Heel State "one of the most violent and one of the worst in the whole nation." Cooper's campaign dismissed the claim as "false."

What The Data Shows

Public crime statistics present a more complex picture than the president's sweeping characterization. According to the FBI Crime Data Explorer, North Carolina recorded 24,686 aggravated assault offenses between September 2025 and September 2026, along with 573 homicides, 2,623 rapes and 3,737 robberies. The state also reported 11,145 clearances for aggravated assaults in that period.

By raw counts, several larger states reported higher totals over the same period: New York recorded 42,518 aggravated assaults (357 homicides, 2,839 rapes, 14,508 robberies) and Florida reported 35,794 aggravated assaults (560 homicides, 4,780 rapes, 6,437 robberies). In Newsweek's analysis of FBI data, California, Texas, New York, Florida and Michigan were the top five states for aggravated assault counts; North Carolina ranked seventh.

Rates, Trends And Context

Raw totals emphasize population size rather than per-capita risk. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation reported a statewide decline in violent crime in 2024 compared with 2023, with decreases in murder, aggravated assault and robbery. Nationally, the FBI reported a 9% drop in the violent crime rate from June 2025 to May 2026, with murder down 18.7%, robbery down 19.4%, rape down 10% and aggravated assault down 6.2% during that window.

The FBI dataset cited in reporting also lists an aggravated-assault offense rate of 9.31 per 100,000 people for North Carolina as of September 2026, compared with a U.S. rate of 4.42 per 100,000, highlighting how per-capita measures can differ from absolute counts. Earlier analyses have placed North Carolina among states with higher violent-crime rates, though several states with higher rates have much smaller populations.

Rally Remarks And Specific Cases

"The animal who murdered Iryna Zarutska should never have been on your streets; after 14 arrests he should have been locked up for many, many years," Trump said, referencing the 2025 killing of a 23-year-old Ukrainian woman on a state train.

DeCarlos Brown Jr. was charged in the killing of Iryna Zarutska. Local outlets reported he was recently found incompetent to stand trial and is now in federal custody.

Campaign Responses And Political Context

The Cooper campaign pushed back on the president's claims, arguing independent fact-checkers have debunked attacks that portray North Carolina as spiraling out of control. Cooper's team highlighted the former governor's record of signing tough-on-crime laws and incarcerating violent offenders.

Whatley’s campaign has faced scrutiny as well: The Associated Press reported that Pastor Daimon L. King — a registered sex offender — led a prayer at a campaign event; the Whatley campaign said the pastor was not known to the candidate and that the event was not planned or organized by the campaign.

Trump used the stop to tout immigration policies, accuse opponents of enabling crime, and promise a $5,000 payment to every adult if Republicans win both chambers of Congress — remarks aimed at energizing GOP voters in the lead-up to midterm elections. The Cook Political Report currently rates the Cooper-Whatley Senate race as "lean Democrat," and recent polling shows Cooper ahead.

Bottom Line

Trump's characterization of North Carolina as "one of the worst" for crime overstates the situation when judged solely by available statewide data. Absolute counts of violent crime are relatively high in North Carolina, reflecting its population size, but state and federal data show recent declines in violent crime both in North Carolina (year-over-year for 2024) and nationally (June 2025–May 2026). The political use of specific violent incidents has heightened the debate during a competitive midterm campaign.