Trump touts falling crime in New York to boost Republicans before midterms

Donald Trump used a Nassau County police academy event to promote his crime record and back Republicans. The visit underscored his law-and-order pitch even as approval concerns and political norms shadowed the event.

In Short

• Fresh FBI figures due Friday showed violent crime fell in 2025
• Uniformed officers filled the backdrop as he attacked Democratic rivals sharply
• Attorney General Todd Blanche and Kash Patel appeared despite old norms

US President Donald Trump on Friday highlighted his record on crime and safety during a visit to New York, turning to one of his strongest political issues as he looks to help Republicans in battleground races ahead of the November midterms.

At the event, Trump promoted new FBI crime statistics due to be released on Friday that show a fall in violent crime in 2025. The visit was also aimed at boosting Republican candidates in closely fought races across his home state, though questions remain over how much his presence will help as he faces weak approval ratings and an unpopular war in Iran with no end in sight.

Trump visited the Nassau County police academy in suburban Long Island. With a riser full of uniformed police officers behind him, he delivered a strongly political message, calling his opponents "Radical Left Democrats" and his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, "Sleepy Joe", as the crowd booed on cue.

New Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel stood to the side of the stage during Trump's remarks. Both spoke before the president to warm up the crowd. Their presence at an event that was in part meant to help Republican candidates broke longstanding norms under which the country's law enforcement agencies generally tried to avoid overtly political events.

Trump narrowly won Nassau County in 2024, flipping the county in the largely Democratic state to Republicans for the first time in more than two decades. The county is home to one of the largest police forces in the US and two Democratic House seats that Republicans now see as winnable this autumn.

The county is also the home turf of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the Trump-endorsed Republican who is challenging Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul. Overall, Trump used the New York visit to underline his crime message while seeking to lift Republican prospects in key races.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends