CNN’s King on Crime Surge: Trump Accused of Exploiting Perception vs. Reality Divide

John King, CNN’s Chief National Correspondent, said on Thursday’s “Situation Room” that while “most violent crimes” are down nationally and “most property crimes” have increased in the past few years “the statistics show crime is better now than a few years ago.” Wolf, but some of these crimes are so shocking that they cause people to be anxious and Trump wants that to become votes.

Wolf Blitzer, the host, asked: “John, we have reported that a third ex-President, Donald Trump, was also in New York to attend today’s funeral of an NYPD officer who had been shot during a traffic check. Trump’s appearances are not well-known. Why is Trump doing this?”

King replied, “Because immigration and crime are central to Trump’s argument that you want a change. You want a change of president because you hate the border and hate crime. If you examine crime statistics nationally, the majority of violent crimes have decreased. However, property crimes and motor vehicle thefts have increased. We’ve seen many shocking crimes on TV, such as an officer being killed in the course of duty. This is one area where the crime statistics don’t match the perception of crime among voters. It could be an issue that is important in the suburbs. It’s a topic he wants highlighted. Again, the statistics tell you crime is in better shape now than it was a few years back. However, some of these crimes are so shocking, Wolf, that they stir people, they stir anxiety, and Trump wants to turn that into votes.”