--- title: "Bill Maher credits Trump's persona for crime drop" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/bill-maher-credits-trumps-persona-for-crime-drop" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/bill-maher-credits-trumps-persona-for-crime-drop" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/bill-maher-credits-trumps-persona-for-crime-drop.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/bill-maher-credits-trumps-persona-for-crime-drop" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-27T02:45:54.541Z" source_reported: "2026-09-27T02:20:28.000Z" updated: "2026-09-27T02:45:54.541Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 61 hype_score: 68 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-27T04:15:20.795777+00:00" --- # Bill Maher credits Trump's persona for crime drop *HBO host cited 'f--- around and find out' approach alongside surveillance and social safety net factors.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. Central claim attributed to Bill Maher, with Fox News and The Gateway Pundit providing full reports. - Craft 61 of 100, higher is better. Reports quote Maher directly, mention FBI data and other contributing factors, and include a right of reply. - Hype 68 of 100, lower is better. Headlines promise Maher's admission of being wrong, which is not the central focus of the reporting. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Bill Maher stated that crime across the US has decreased, not just drug crime. - Maher attributed the crime drop partly to President Trump's 'f--- around and find out' approach. - Flock camera surveillance technology was also cited by Maher as a factor in the crime decline. - Maher suggested that Democratic expansion of the social safety net may have reduced the number of desperate people. Comedian Bill Maher stated on his HBO show "Real Time" that crime across the United States has declined, and this decrease is not limited to drug-related offenses. Maher attributed the trend in part to the "tough-guy persona" of President Trump, suggesting that criminals may have "gotten the message." Maher also cited Flock camera surveillance technology as a contributing factor to the crime decline, noting that individuals are constantly tracked and photographed. Additionally, he suggested that Democratic expansion of the social safety net may have reduced the number of people driven to crime by desperation. ## Disagreement on crime decline start date The New York Post reported that FBI data show the crime decline started in 2022 and continued into Trump's presidency. The Gateway Pundit reported that Maher stated crime is down across the country and cited FBI data showing the decline started in 2022 during the Biden administration and continued into Trump's presidency. ## What the coverage left out None of the 16 right-rated reports mentioned the specific figure of violent crime dropping to the lowest level in 2025 since 1969, as cited by The New York Post from an Atlantic magazine headline shown by Maher. The reports also did not detail the specific police methods in cities like Baltimore, low unemployment, or federal investments in state and local government that The New York Post noted were credited in the article Maher displayed. ## Who covered it Shares of the 17 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 0% (0) - Right: 100% (17) 1 of 18 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-27T04:15:20.795777+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 10 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-27T05:15:11.863Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre No separate framing summary. ### Right - Sixteen right-rated reports carried the story, with the majority focusing on Bill Maher's comments crediting Donald Trump's persona for a national crime drop. Headlines and digests frequently used phrases such as "f--- around and find out president," "tough-guy persona," and "kick a-- crime approach" to describe Maher's remarks. The Gateway Pundit and the New York Post, which provided full reports, highlighted Maher's statements that "all crime" is down and that Trump's "no-more-Mr.-Nice-Guy" approach had an effect. These reports also noted Maher's mention of Flock camera surveillance and Democratic social safety net expansion as other factors. The New York Post specifically mentioned FBI data indicating the crime decline began in 2022 and continued into Trump's presidency. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - veryLow: 1 - low: 6 - mixed: 9 - high: 1 - unknown: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Politics, Policy, Political News](https://politicom.com.au/bill-maher-credits-trump-with-national-drop-in-crime-i-think-the-bad-guys-got-the-message-video) — Bill Maher Credits Trump With National Drop in Crime: ‘I Think the Bad Guys Got the Message’ - Politics, Policy, Political Views - [The Gateway Pundit](https://thegatewaypundit.com/2026/09/bill-maher-credits-trump-national-drop-crime-i) — Bill Maher Credits Trump With National Drop in Crime: ‘I Think the Bad Guys Got the Message’ * The Gateway Pundit * by Mike LaChance - [realnewsnow.com](https://realnewsnow.com/bill-maher-credits-trumps-fafo-approach-as-crime-drops-across-america) — Bill Maher Credits Trump’s ‘FAFO’ Approach as Crime Drops Across America - Real News Now - [Next News Network](https://nextnewsnetwork.com/2026/09/26/maher-admits-it-trumps-border-crackdown-and-deportations-helped-drive-down-drug--muiwu5eb) — MAHER ADMITS IT: Trump's Border Crackdown and Deportations Helped Drive Down Drug Deaths - [Washington Examiner](https://washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/4744252/bill-maher-trump-crime-decline) — Bill Maher says Trump's 'no more Mr. Nice Guy' approach drove steep crime decline - [U-S-NEWS.COM](https://u-s-news.com/politics-bill-maher-attributes-national-crime-drop-partly-to-trumps-tough-guy-reputation-the-beltway-report) — POLITICS: Bill Maher Attributes National Crime Drop Partly to Trump’s Tough-Guy Reputation – The Beltway Report - [The Beltway Report](https://thebeltwayreport.com/2026/09/bill-maher-attributes-national-crime-drop-partly-to-trumps-tough-guy-reputation) — Bill Maher Attributes National Crime Drop Partly to Trump’s Tough-Guy Reputation - [capitalisminstitute.org](https://capitalisminstitute.org/bill-maher-praises-trumps-hard-line-as-fbi-data-shows-violent-crime-plunging) — Bill Maher Credits Trump as FBI Reports Crime Plunge - [TrendingPolitics](https://trendingpoliticsnews.com/video-bill-maher-praises-trump-for-record-setting-drop-in-crime-cmc) — Bill Maher Praises Trump For Record-Setting Drop In Crime - [wfmd.com](https://wfmd.com/2026/09/26/bill-maher-credits-trumps-kick-a-crime-approach-as-violent-offenses-fall-across-america) — Bill Maher credits Trump’s ‘kick a–’ crime approach as violent offenses fall across America - [New York Post](https://nypost.com/2026/09/26/us-news/how-f-around-and-find-out-trump-dropped-crime-maher) — Bill Maher credits ‘f–k around and find out president’ Trump for steep drop in crime - [Washington Times](https://washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/26/bill-maher-says-trump-toughness-safety-net-may-curbed-crime) — Bill Maher says Trump toughness, safety net may have curbed crime - [nytimespost.com](https://nytimespost.com/bill-maher-credits-trumps-kick-a-crime-approach-as-violent-offenses-fall-across-america) — Bill Maher credits Trump’s ‘kick-a-’ crime approach as violent offenses fall across America - NEW YORK TIMES POST - [democraticaccent.com](https://democraticaccent.com/bill-maher-credits-trumps-kick-a-crime-approach-as-violent-offenses-fall-across-america) — Bill Maher credits Trump’s ‘kick a--’ crime approach as violent offenses fall across America – Democratic Accent - [Fox News](https://foxnews.com/media/bill-maher-credits-trumps-kick-a-crime-approach-violent-offenses-fall-across-america) — Bill Maher credits Trump’s ‘kick a--’ crime approach as violent offenses fall across America - [RedState](https://redstate.com/wardclark/2026/09/26/bill-maher-credits-trumps-tough-image-for-big-beautiful-drop-in-crime-n2207413) — Bill Maher Credits Trump’s Tough Image for Big, Beautiful Drop in Crime - [Breitbart](https://breitbart.com/clips/2026/09/26/maher-trump-closing-border-deporting-criminals-striking-boats-helped-lower-drug-deaths-as-did-bidens-work-on-narcan) — Maher: Trump Closing Border, Deporting Criminals, Striking Boats Helped Lower Drug Deaths, as Did Biden's Work on Narcan - [The Daily Signal](https://dailysignal.com/2026/09/25/in-an-age-of-tribalism-bill-maher-admitted-he-was-wrong-maher) — In an Age of Tribalism, Bill Maher Just Did Something Radical: He Admitted He Was Wrong ## Questions **What did Bill Maher say about crime rates?** Bill Maher stated that crime across the United States has decreased, and this decline is not limited to drug-related offenses. He attributed the trend partly to President Trump's tough-guy persona and also mentioned Flock camera surveillance and Democratic social safety net expansion as contributing factors. **How did Bill Maher describe President Trump's role in the crime drop?** Maher described President Trump's approach as a "f--- around and find out" or "kick a--" method, suggesting that his tough-guy persona may have sent a message to criminals. He acknowledged that while he did not agree with all of Trump's methods, he could not argue with the results. **What other factors did Bill Maher cite for the crime decline?** Besides President Trump's persona, Maher mentioned Flock camera surveillance technology, which tracks and photographs individuals, as a factor. He also suggested that Democratic expansion of the social safety net might have reduced the number of desperate people resorting to crime. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. 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