Fact-check · Sep 9, 2026 · Donald Trump
“He released 4,200 hardened criminals from our prisons”
TRUE
What the record shows
North Carolina released 4,200 inmates under a 2021 COVID-era settlement agreement (3,500 initially agreed, plus 700+ additional releases under population threshold provisions). The NC Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission reported 48% recidivism among those released.
Sources
- Pro-crime Roy Cooper released more than 4,200 hardened ...
- Democrat Roy Cooper Lied About Why He Released 4,200 Criminals from Prison
- Exclusive — Michael Whatley: Democrat Roy Cooper Never Explained Letting Thousands of Criminals Out of Jail
- 40 Years of Failure Friday: Roy Cooper Released Dangerous Criminals and Put North Carolina Families at Risk - Senate Leadership Fund
- Roy Cooper Lied to Reporters About Releasing 4,200 Prisoners
- Election 2026: Prisoners in historic release by Cooper consistent in pattern | North Carolina | thecentersquare.com
From: LIVE: President Trump‘s 2026 Republican Midterm Convention: Day One - 9/9/26
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