Debunking Trump's Claim: Chicago is Not the "Most Dangerous City in the World"

President Donald Trump sparked a wide-ranging controversy by claiming that Chicago is the "most dangerous city in the world" and the "undisputed murder capital," accompanied by an explicit threat of military intervention to combat crime. This rhetoric led to hundreds of people protesting in Chicago and drew angry reactions from the Illinois governor and the city's mayor, who described Trump's statements as "political intimidation" and "authoritarian impulse."

In a notable turn, the White House fueled the debate by publishing an article titled "Yes, Chicago has a crime problem, ask its residents," using selective figures. This media interaction turned Chicago into a central point in a rhetorical battle between Democrats and Republicans.

The "Al Jazeera Investigates" team analyzed official figures and credible reports to debunk Trump's claims. A review of FBI reports and local police data showed that crime rates in the United States generally declined in 2024. The murder rate dropped by 14.9% compared to 2023, reaching its lowest level in a decade.

Comparing the Numbers: Are Absolute Figures Enough?

• Republican States: The data reveals that the highest murder rates in 2024 were recorded in cities within states led by Republicans. Topping the list were cities like Jackson (with a rate of 78.7 murders per 100,000 people), Birmingham (58.8), and St. Louis (over 50).

• Democratic States: In contrast, major cities like Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, while having large numbers of absolute murders, have much lower murder rates when calculated per capita. Chicago's murder rate was 17.5 per 100,000 people in 2024, less than a quarter of the rate in Jackson.

Other Reports and International Rankings:

• "Third Way" Report: This report concluded that murder rates in states that voted Republican were 23 to 33% higher than in states that leaned Democratic between 2000 and 2022, contradicting the popular narrative that crime is rampant only in blue cities.

• "World Atlas" Index: The 2025 "World Atlas" ranking of the world's most dangerous cities placed Chicago at 40th place, behind several other American cities. The only US city in the global top 10 was Memphis, Tennessee.

• "Safest Summer": The city of Chicago stated that the summer of 2025 was the "safest since the 1960s," with only 123 murders recorded between June and August 2025, the lowest rate in over 60 years.

In conclusion, the analysis of reliable data and official reports shows that Trump's claims about Chicago's danger are exaggerated and inaccurate, used for political purposes in his battle against his Democratic opponents.