AXIOS (Russell Contreras) - Crime plunges in major cities despite Trump's crackdown rhetoric
CopyData: Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA); Chart: Axios Visuals Violent crime dropped sharply across America's biggest cities in 2025, according to new data reviewed by Axios. Why it matters: The stats were yet another sign that violent crime in the U.S. was starkly different from what President Trump cited as his reason for sending federal troops to Chicago, Portland , Washington, D.C ., Memphis and cities in California. - "Chicago is a hellhole right now. Baltimore is a hellhole right now," Trump said in September. "We have the right to [call in the National Guard] because I have an obligation to protect this country." The big picture: The report from the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA ) shows declines across every…