Some experts believe President Trump’s words are linked to an increase in hate crimes
A new study by scientists at the University of North Texas, published in the Washington Post, states counties in the United States where President Donald Trump held a campaign rally saw a 226% increase in reported hate crimes compared to similar counties that did not hold a rally.
The study measured the correlation between counties that hosted a 2016 campaign rally and the crime rates in the months that followed. It measured acts of violence and compared the counties that hosted a rally with others that had similar characteristics, including minority population, location, and active hate groups.
Colorado Springs was one of the many cities which hosted a campaign rally in 2016.
Hate crimes reported to the Colorado Springs Police Department went from 6 in 2016 with most cases targeting people for sexual orientation. In 2018, it more than doubled with 13 reported hate crime cases against race.
Pueblo was also another city where a campaign rally was held, but they saw a decrease.
In 2016, 1 hate crime was reported to the police department, but in 2018 the data shows there were zero reports of hate crimes.
But the number of hate crimes reported in Colorado overall has also increased. Between 2017 and 2018 they almost doubled, according to data compiled by Colorado law enforcement.
President Donald Trump has often spoken out about an “invasion of illegals” at the southern border, words believed to have been taken very seriously by the El Paso shooting suspect. He posted on social media about the attack after killing 22 people at a Walmart in response to a “Hispanic invasion of Texas.”
Some extremism experts believe there is historical data suggesting a link between heated rhetoric from top political leaders and ensuing reports of hate crimes.
The FBI defines hate crimes as offenses that have an element of bias against race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender or gender identity.
Hate crimes in the United States reportedly increased by 17% in 2017 compared to the previous year, according to an annual FBI report published in November 2018. There were 7,175 hate crime incidents in 2017, and of the crimes motivated by hatred over race or ethnicity, nearly half involved African-Americans and 11% were anti-Hispanic.
It’s mandatory for federal agencies to report hate crime data, but it’s voluntary for local and state agencies. That means the numbers used by scientists at The University of North Texas are likely not fully representative of the state’s cases.
