Bill Maher said President Donald Trump’s tough-on-crime image may be contributing to a nationwide decline in violent offences, while also crediting expanded Democratic social safety-net policies and widespread surveillance technology. Maher said he disagreed with many of Trump’s methods but believed it was unrealistic to deny that the president’s hard-line approach could influence criminals’ behaviour.

FBI Crime Data Explorer figures cited by the article show reported violent crime fell 9% between June 2025 and May 2026. Robbery declined 19.4%, murder 18.7%, rape 10% and aggravated assault 6.2%; a retired FBI agent said the figures could provide bipartisan common ground, although the article also noted claims that some victims do not report offences. The White House attributed the reduction to Trump’s policies and law-enforcement support.