Republicans turn to tough-on-crime message ahead of difficult midterms
In short
Republicans are centering their midterm campaigns on public disorder, illegal immigration and violent crime, according to an Associated Press report carried by several US outlets. House Speaker Mike Johnson cited what he called the lowest violent crime rate in 126 years, while President Donald Trump warned in Nebraska about the country's past border and crime. The messaging comes as voters sour on the party's handling of the cost of living and the war with Iran.
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Republicans are centering their midterm campaigns on public disorder, illegal immigration and violent crime, according to an Associated Press report carried by US outlets. Political advertising warns about Democratic plots to defund the police, campaign events feature law enforcement unions and stump speeches boast about record low levels of violent crime, the report said. The messaging comes as voters sour on the party's handling of the cost of living and the war with Iran, according to the report. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
House Speaker Mike Johnson said at an audience at Louisiana State University that the US has “the lowest violent crime rate in 126 years in America right now” because of an emphasis on the rule of law, and added that the country has “the most secure border we have had in the past half century.” The report noted that crime rates have generally trended down since the 1990s with a brief spike during the COVID pandemic. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
President Donald Trump returned to the topic on Monday night in Nebraska, warning about how the country used to be before he returned to the White House. “We had a border with people pouring in, crime like nobody's ever seen,” Trump said, according to the report. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
In Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Texas and Wisconsin, Republican candidates for governor have attacked their Democratic rivals as weak on crime or warned they could cut police funding, according to the report. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, for instance, has lambasted Democratic nominee and state Rep. Gina Hinojosa for not supporting legislation that would require judges to deny bail to illegal immigrants charged with a violent crime, the report said. [ 2 , 3 ]
The report said the messaging reflects a belief that lawlessness is safer political ground in the midterms despite Trump's own criminal record for paying hush money to a porn star, which it said makes him the only president to have been convicted of a felony. Democrats have tried to counter the attacks by recruiting candidates with law enforcement backgrounds and emphasising their own anti-crime plans, but Republicans see a rare chance to go on the offensive in an otherwise challenging year, according to the report. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
With voters unhappy about living costs and the war with Iran, crime and border messaging is the ground Republicans are choosing for the midterms, according to the report. Democratic candidates are responding with their own anti-crime plans and law enforcement backgrounds. The framing is likely to shape races for governor and Congress in several states.
Key facts
- Republicans are focusing midterm campaigns on public disorder, illegal immigration and violent crime, the report said. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- House Speaker Mike Johnson said at Louisiana State University that the US has the lowest violent crime rate in 126 years because of an emphasis on the rule of law. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The report said crime rates have generally trended down since the 1990s, with a brief spike during the COVID pandemic. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- President Donald Trump returned to the topic on Monday night in Nebraska, warning about how the country used to be before he returned to the White House. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Republican candidates for governor in Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Texas and Wisconsin have attacked their Democratic rivals as weak on crime or warned they could cut police funding. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott criticized Democratic nominee and state Rep. Gina Hinojosa for not supporting legislation that would require judges to deny bail to illegal immigrants charged with a violent crime. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Democrats have tried to counter by recruiting candidates with law enforcement backgrounds and emphasizing their own anti-crime plans, according to the report. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Republicans are making public disorder, illegal immigration and violent crime central themes of midterm campaigns. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- House Speaker Mike Johnson said the US has the lowest violent crime rate in 126 years and credited an emphasis on the rule of law. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- President Donald Trump spoke about border and crime conditions in Nebraska on Monday night, according to the report. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Democrats have responded by recruiting candidates with law enforcement backgrounds and promoting their own anti-crime plans. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The report refers to voters souring on the party's handling of the war with Iran, but gives no details of that conflict. The documents mention the war only as political context and provide no facts about it.
- How Democratic candidates are responding in each state race beyond recruiting law enforcement figures and their own anti-crime plans. The available article text is truncated before the state-level detail is fully described.
- The claim of the lowest violent crime rate in 126 years rests on a single quoted statement by House Speaker Mike Johnson. The figure is attributed to a politician and the documents do not cite the underlying data.