Trump welcomes law enforcement officials to the White House: 'We've achieved the largest drop in violent crime ever recorded'

Donald Trump hosted an event at the White House with law enforcement representatives. The president joined police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and other first responders and defended his public-safety record by citing a historic drop in crime.

The event, held in the Rose Garden, was attended by representatives from the Fraternal Order of Police, the International Association of Fire Fighters, the National Sheriffs' Association, and the National Border Patrol Council, among other organizations.

During his speech, Trump stated that his administration has worked "from day one" to provide law enforcement with resources, support, and legal protection: "We have your back 100%. We don't play games."

In addition, the president cited various crime statistics from his tenure: "We've achieved the largest drop in violent crime ever recorded. The murder rate plummeted to the lowest level in 125 years. Drug overdose deaths have fallen every single month I've been in office. Police officer deaths in the line of duty have reached an 80-year low."

According to a report published in 2025 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), violent crime fell by 9.3%, the largest annual decline since the agency began compiling estimates in 1936. The same report also states that homicides fell by 18.1%. Furthermore, the homicide rate stands at 4.1 per 100,000 residents, tying the lowest rate ever recorded between 1955 and 1956.

Paul Pérez, president of the Border Patrol Union, thanked Trump during the event. "I speak for all of us when we say we have NEVER had the support or leadership from any Administration that we have from you — and it's because of you that America is stronger, America is safer, and the border is totally secure," he said.

Steve Hirsch, president of the National Council of Volunteer Firefighters, echoed this sentiment and presented Trump with a firefighter's helmet: "While this helmet protects us in a fire or a wreck, we want it to protect you. We want God to wrap his protective arm around you."

Trump accepted the helmet and joked that it would have come in handy in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he survived his first assassination attempt in July 2024.