Vice President Vance Blames Democrats for Rising Urban Crime

U.S. Vice President JD Vance used a public appearance on 28 Aug. 2025 to accuse national and local Democratic leaders of being more interested in opposing President Donald Trump than in addressing violent crime in major cities. “We don’t have to live like this,” Vance said, arguing that political leadership willing to “go after the bad guys” could quickly cut murders, carjackings and armed robberies. Vance claimed that Trump had reduced those crimes in Washington, D.C., within a two-week span and contended that Democratic officials responded by “defending crime.” To illustrate what he called reflexive opposition, the vice president joked that if Trump endorsed puppies, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would denounce them as “terrible.” The remarks signal the administration’s intent to keep public safety at the center of its messaging ahead of next year’s mid-term elections, while intensifying criticism of Democratic governance in large cities.