Fact-check · Nov 2, 2026 · Donald Trump
“2% of the people create 91% of the crime”
FALSE
What the record shows
FBI UCR does not publish crime by population percentage. Repeat offenders account for ~60% of felony arrests (15% of population); no authoritative source supports 2% causing 91% of all crime.
The 2%/91% claim conflates jail bookings with crime commission and lacks independent verification from federal crime datasets.
Sources
- Note to President Trump: No, 2% of the population doesn’t account for all crime
- Trump’s Claim That 2% of Americans Account for Nearly All Crime Draws Counterarguments - Davis Vanguard
- 91% of the Crime in Cities Is Caused by 2% of the People
- Trump Says '2% of the People Create 90% of the Crime' on The Dan Bongino Show
- Does 2% of the population cause 80% of crime?
- Trump: "2% of the people create 90% of the crime. So when you start moving these guys out, you have a huge impact on crime. You've got sick people. So you don't have to arrest the entire population. Two percent of the people. They'll never be good. Eventually they will kill you"
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