President Donald Trump traveled to a New York police academy on Friday to highlight falling violent crime rates and to boost Republican candidates in closely watched races ahead of the November midterms. The visit came as Trump seeks to make public safety a centerpiece of his party's campaign message.
Crime statistics on display
Speaking before an audience that included local officers and officials, Trump pointed to new statistics showing violent crime and murder rates have dropped sharply during his term. He credited his administration's law enforcement policies for the decline, although crime data shows the downward trend began before his current term.
To the side of the stage stood Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel, who spoke to warm up the crowd. Their appearance at an overtly political event broke longstanding norms in which federal law enforcement agencies generally avoided participating in partisan gatherings.
Boosting battleground candidates
The event was designed in part to help Republican candidates in New York, including Bruce Blakeman, who is running for reelection as Nassau County executive. Republican challengers Michael LiPetri Jr. and Jeanine Driscoll are also seeking to unseat Democratic incumbents in New York's 3rd and 4th Congressional Districts.
Republican strategist Matt Gorman said Trump's visit stands to boost those candidates by energizing the party base in a state where Republicans face an uphill fight in many districts.
An uncertain political backdrop
The president's appearance came at a time of mixed political fortunes. Trump faces lagging approval ratings in some polls, and the war in Iran remains unpopular with many voters. Public safety is one of the issues where Republicans believe they hold an advantage, and Friday's event was an attempt to press that advantage ahead of the midterms.
Democrats have pushed back on the administration's crime message, pointing to data showing the decline in violent crime began before Trump took office. The debate over who deserves credit for the drop is likely to continue through the campaign season.