Ex-US President Donald Trump, during a recent tour to a sheriff’s department in Howell, leveraged skewed crime statistics in support of his argument. The choice of locale, which has historical ties to the Ku Klux Klan and recent white supremacist activities, drew heavy critique. He addressed a handful of handpicked attendees, which included a considerable group of law enforcement agents, promising to bolster police figures whilst redistributing federal police resources for border management.
In his speech, he claimed Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic contender for the presidency, to be in favor of defunding the police. Furthermore, he stated that her crime policies were too lenient. ‘People like me are prosecuted, while those who commit murder go scot-free,’ he alleged.
He also placed a 43% increase in violent crime at Harris’s desk, since she assumed office. He supported his argument with data allegedly released by her administration. However, it is noteworthy that the rise in violent crime rates was not unique to the US but was seen worldwide during the pandemic, including Michigan. Post that, crime rates saw a considerable drop.
As per FBI data, the rate of violent crime across the nation had dropped by an estimated 6% in 2023, compared to 2022. Identical violent crime rates were recorded for 2019, the final pre-pandemic calendar year under Trump’s leadership, and 2022, the latest year of the Biden presidency for which comprehensive data is available. The figures indicated 381 violent crimes per 100,000 residents for both these years. Paradoxically, a spike was seen in 2020, Trump’s final full presidency year, when it soared to 399 per 100,000 residents.
As per statements from the Council on Criminal Justice, a downward trend in violent crime is expected in 2024. Michigan, in specific, witnessed its highest violent crime rate in 2021, which was a year ahead of the nationwide peak, as indicated by the FBI data.
In 2019, incidents of violent crime were at a rate of 439 per 100,000 residents which, although lower than the 2022 rate at 461 per 100,000 people, was significantly lower than the highest rate of 491 per 100,000 residents recorded in 2021. Detailed state data for 2023 isn’t yet on record, but Detroit, the largest city in Michigan, recorded its lowest homicide count since 1966 and a decrease of 0.6% in violent crime compared to 2022.
Notwithstanding the declining trend of violent crime post-pandemic, Trump asserted that violence was rising due to the Biden-Harris administration’s lax border control policy. At the event, several Michigan-based sheriffs narrated crimes they were investigating or prosecuting where suspects were illegal immigrants.
Former congressman Mike Rogers, the Republican nominee for the vacant Michigan U.S. Senate seat, stated, ‘Crime is a significant concern in the forthcoming election.’ Trump accused Harris of endorsing the notion of defunding the police, a claim counteracted by PolitiFact, a unit of the Poynter Institute.
Trump’s selection of Howell as the event venue was met with ire from the Harris campaign and others due to the city’s past association with white supremacy groups. Just a month prior, on July 20, the city hosted a rally by a small white supremacist group that expressed their support for Hitler and Trump, although there was no evidence linking these actions with the Trump campaign.
The Harris campaign denounced the former president for rallying in Howell, dubiously referred to as the ‘KKK capital of Michigan.’ Alyssa Bradley, an official with the Harris campaign, denounced the ‘crime and safety’ theme of Trump’s event as a direct and vociferous proclamation rather than a subtle hint. Trump took a single question from the media after his lengthy, subdued address, the query being around his choice of Howell as the event venue, considering its historical significance.
Citing President Joe Biden’s visit to Howell in 2021, Trump questioned the reporter’s critique, whilst still avoiding the issue of the recent white supremacist rally. Mainly, the Harris campaign lambasted Trump’s reluctance to condemn such activities openly.
David Siwik, a history professor at Lansing Community College, highlighted Howell’s comparatively recent KKK history, partly due to its proximity to Livingston County, the residence of Robert Miles, a former KKK grand dragon. However, he did not dismiss the KKK’s widespread influence across Michigan during the 1920s, including crucial areas like Detroit.
Siwik suggested, ‘A political rally anywhere in Michigan has vague connections with Ku Klux Klan activities of the past.’ He also hinted that Trump’s choice of Howell might not be accidental given his past rapport with far-right groups, implying his tacit approval for the town’s historical undertones.
Kasey Helton, a local Howell Democrat, health care professional, and community activist, expressed her regret and the setback all the adverse publicity has caused to her hard work in rehabilitating Howell’s image.
She deemed organizations like the Livingston Diversity Council and Stand Against Extremism vital in healing old wounds rather than concealing them. She said, ‘The recent events have reopened past scars that we had worked tirelessly to heal.’
Helton held Trump responsible, irrespective of whether he had any direct involvement with or knowledge of the recent demonstrations. She stated, ‘Had Trump not chosen to come here, we wouldn’t have had to discuss Howell’s past on a national scale.’ Helton considers this disconcerting but asserted, ‘We can recover, and we will.’