Trump’s cuts to intervention programs could increase violent crime, experts say

The Guardian · 🇬🇧 public United Kingdom · May 31, 2026 · 1285 words · By Eric Berger

Crime Rate Causality Public Safety Funding Government Accountability and Fraud

headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing

Ready to play

Daily briefing

What to know about Crime Rate Causality

Homicides in the US have fallen dramatically in recent years after a spike during the Covid-19 pandemic, but now some advocates for community violence intervention programs worry federal funding cuts by the Trump administration will reverse that trend.

Claims checked 15

Techniques found 3

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left33%

Center34%

Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

In April 2025, more than $800m in grants was cut from the Department of Justice’s office of justice programs aimed at preventing and responding to gun violence, among other causes.

Common ground

While the justice department justified the cuts by stating that it was instead focusing on “prosecuting criminals”, some experts argue that intervention programs are more effective at reducing violence than simply making arrests.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Crime Rate Causality story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that The New York police department also reported that the city saw its fewest murders in recorded history during the first four months of this year?
How does this story connect Crime Rate Causality with Public Safety Funding over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/31/trump-federal-funding-cuts-crime

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 95% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Name Calling / Labeling 90% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 85% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 15 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 5

verified Verified By Reference 4

check_circle Corroborated 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 1

verified

Claim 1: “The New York police department also reported that the city saw its fewest murders in recorded history during the first four months of this year.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The evidence provided contains general information about the NYPD and its organization, but does not contain any specific report or data regarding the number of murders in the first four months of 2025.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The City of New York Police Department, also known as the New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary policing and investigation agency within New York City as per the NYC Charter. Establis…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Police_Departmen…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Throughout the history of the New York City Police Department, numerous instances of corruption, misconduct, and other allegations of such have occurred. Over 12,000 cases resulted in lawsuits settlem…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Police_Departmen…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is structured into numerous bureaus and units. As a whole, the NYPD is headed by the police commissioner, a civilian administrator appointed by the mayor, wi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_of_the_New_York_C…

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 2: “In 2021, a We Push for Peace worker was also caught on camera beating a homeless man outside a grocery store, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 3: “Baltimore saw the largest homicide rate decrease between 2019 and 2025 among 35 cities in the Council on Criminal Justice study.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found for this claim.

help

Claim 4: “In Minneapolis, Zachary Coppola, a resident, sued the city in 2023 for allegedly not following the law in how it awarded government funding to violence prevention organizations.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found for this claim.

schedule

Claim 5: “Minnesota attorney general, Keith Ellison, also earlier this month filed a lawsuit against We Push for Peace, a non-profit that received money from Minneapolis and Whole Foods”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 6: “The Trump administration terminated grants worth millions of dollars to Urban Peace, LifeBridge and at least two other Baltimore organizations dedicated to violence intervention, according to Giffords”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web sources confirm that the Trump administration terminated grants to Urban Peace, LifeBridge, and other Baltimore organizations.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — May 31, 2026 ... The Trump administration terminated grants worth millions of dollars to Urban Peace, LifeBridge and at least two other Baltimore organizations ...
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/31/trump-federa…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — May 7, 2025 ... On Wednesday, April 23, the Trump administration rescinded over $800 million in grants to local gun violence prevention and crime reduction programs.
https://giffords.org/analysis/donald-trump-cut-hundreds-of-m…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Apr 3, 2026 ... ... last days of the Trump admin- istration, Congress passed the ... Tort Reform Association have spent many tens of millions of dollars in pursuit of ...
https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/cmte_testimony/2026/jud/35275_04…

info

Claim 7: “crime dropped significantly in cities like Baltimore, Buffalo and Salt Lake City, where he did not send the national guard. Crime in those cities decreased by more than 40% in 2025 compared with 2019, according to the Council on Criminal Justice.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence mentions a general 2025 homicide rate decrease of 21% and some data on Memphis, St. Louis, and Detroit, but it does not provide specific figures for Baltimore, Buffalo, or Salt Lake City, nor does it mention the National Guard's role in those specific cities.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jan 5, 2026 ... With homicide down 21%, the 2025 homicide rate may reach the lowest level ever recorded in law enforcement or public health data going back ...
https://counciloncj.org/crime-trends-in-u-s-cities-year-end-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Apr 22, 2026 ... Weekend Sees 3 More Arrested for Murders and 2 More for Violent Sex Crimes Among the 87 Overall Arrests #USMarshals.
https://www.facebook.com/USMSHQ/posts/weekend-sees-3-more-ar…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jan 5, 2026 ... We're taking a closer look at early 2026 homicide and shooting data following several violent incidents reported over the weekend.
https://www.facebook.com/ABC24Memphis/posts/were-taking-a-cl…

schedule

Claim 8: “in 2020 in San Francisco, the city implemented a violence reduction initiative... The district where it was implemented saw a 50% reduction in homicides and non-fatal shootings compared with the rest of the city, according to a University of Pennsylvania report.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 9: “Trump was also president when violent crime surged in 2020.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia confirms Donald Trump served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021, which covers the year 2020. Web search results explicitly state that violent crime rose during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 while Trump was president.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — From 13 to 15 May 2026, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, made a state visit to China. This visit was Trump's second state visit to China, and the first to occur during his second pres…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_state_visit_by_Donald_Tru…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The religious views of Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, have been a matter for discussion among observers and the American public. Trump was raised in his Scottish-born …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_and_religion

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 10: “In 2020, when the pandemic started, the US saw its murder rate increase 30% over 2019, the largest-ever recorded increase, according to the FBI.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of dictionary definitions for the word 'according' and general Wikipedia entries for the FBI and the 2020 election. There is no specific data provided in the evidence to confirm or deny the 30% increase in the murder rate for 2020.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 3, 2020. The Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and California junior senator Kamala Harris defeated the incumbent R…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_United_States_presidentia…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. An agency of the United States Depart…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Bureau_of_Investigatio…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kashyap Pramod "Kash" Patel (born February 25, 1980) is an American lawyer serving since 2025 as the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Patel also served as acting director of the Bureau…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kash_Patel

+ 3 more evidence sources

check_circle

Claim 11: “In 2022, Biden approved the bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which provided $250m for the community-based violence intervention and prevention initiative.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent web sources (Sen. Baldwin's office, a policy analysis, and Moms Demand Action) all confirm that the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act provided $250 million for community-based violence intervention and prevention initiatives.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Provides $250 million in funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives.Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic: Expands the existing Medicaid CCBHC demonstration program to all stat…
https://www.wispolitics.com/2022/u-s-sen-baldwin-votes-for-b…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Providing $250 million in funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives. While the BSCA made limited changes to federal gun statutes and provided incentives for states to reduce the thre…
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/67fd58c96da19e03e283d…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The bill includes $250 million in dedicated funding for evidence-informed, community-based violence intervention programs that have been proven to reduce gun violence in the most affected communities …
https://momsdemandaction.org/press/everytown-moms-demand-act…

schedule

Claim 12: “Unlike the national trend, Minneapolis saw its homicide rate increase by 30% in 2025 as compared with 2019.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 13: “In April 2025, more than $800m in grants was cut from the Department of Justice’s office of justice programs aimed at preventing and responding to gun violence, among other causes.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (The Washington Post, Everytown Community Safety Fund Recap, and another web source) confirm that in April 2025, the Trump administration cut approximately $800 million in DOJ grants for gun violence prevention.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA) is a law passed by the 119th United States Congress and signed by President Donald Trump on November 19, 2025. It requires the U.S. Attorney General to "make …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epstein_Files_Transparency_Act

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Epstein files are a partially released collection of millions of documents, images, videos, and emails related to the activities of American financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epst…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epstein_files

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — United States v. Google LLC is a federal antitrust case brought by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) against Google LLC on January 24, 2023. The suit accuses Google of illegally monopolizi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Google_LLC_(2…

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 14: “In 2025, there were 25% fewer homicides in the US than in 2019, according to a report from the Council on Criminal Justice”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While there is a mention of the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) and a general discussion about the U.S. murder rate in 2025, the evidence does not specifically confirm a '25% fewer homicides in the US than in 2019' figure. One source mentions a 21% drop in homicides in a 2025 update, but this does not match the specific 25% claim relative to 2019.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Brazilian criminal justice system comes from the civil law of Western Europe, in particular Portuguese law, which derives from Roman law. The earliest legal documents in Brazil were land grants an…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_criminal_justice

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Incarceration in the United States is one of the primary means of punishment for crime in the United States. In 2021, over five million people were under supervision by the criminal justice system, wi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarceration_in_the_United_St…

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organisation and international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. Established in 2002 under the multilateral Rome Statute, the IC…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Criminal_Court

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 15: “its directors, Trahern Pollard and Jaclyn McGuigan, allegedly siphoned more than $6.5m from the organization... for items such as a trip to Las Vegas, child support payments and funding for Pollard’s liquor store and car dealership”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.