Insha Rahman, vice-president for advocacy and partnerships at the Vera Institute of Justice, told delegates at the Democratic National Committee’s summer meeting in Minneapolis on 25 August that party candidates should “not take the bait talking about migrant crime or carjackings or the things that actually don’t matter to that many Americans.” The remark was delivered during a strategy session on crime and public safety that urged Democrats to counter what Rahman described as President Donald Trump’s use of crime crackdowns for political gain. Rahman argued that voters are more concerned with mental-health services, homelessness and the underlying causes of random violence, and encouraged Democrats to highlight those issues rather than adopt Republican rhetoric on policing. She also said Democrats should claim credit for recent declines in crime rates, asserting they occurred “because of Democratic leadership.” Video of the comments circulated widely on social media and was quickly amplified by conservative media outlets, which accused the DNC of minimizing violent crime. Neither the DNC nor the Vera Institute immediately responded to requests for comment.