In a striking turn for U.S. crime statistics, the national murder rate in 2025 fell 20% from the previous year, reaching levels not seen since 1900, according to recent reports. FBI Director Kash Patel has seized on the data, attributing the drop to aggressive policing under President Trump’s administration. Posts on X from @FBIDirectorKash highlight nearly 200% more arrests, crushed violent gangs, and hunted fugitives as key drivers.

The Washington Examiner detailed a study of 40 large cities showing a 21% homicide decline, the largest single-year drop on record. This aligns with a WRGA News report confirming murders at their lowest since 1900 across major cities, crediting strategic enforcement.

A White House article frames the plunge as a direct result of restored law and order, echoing Patel’s narrative that media outlets like Axios overlooked Trump and the FBI’s role.

FBI’s Arrest Surge and Gang Disruptions

Patel touted on X a 200% arrest increase, with 67,000 total arrests in 2025, per his posts. This included a 210% rise in violent gang takedowns, targeting MS-13 and others, alongside 1,800 criminal enterprises disrupted, as noted in multiple updates from @FBIDirectorKash.

Fentanyl seizures jumped 31% to over 2,000 kilos—equivalent to 130 million lethal doses—while 6,000 child victims were recovered, up 22%, according to FBI Director’s X announcements like this one. These metrics, Patel argues, stem from Trump policies empowering law enforcement.

The Washington Examiner supports this, linking the homicide drop to federal-local partnerships under the administration.

Trump Administration’s Law-and-Order Pivot

Patel’s X posts, such as one from December 2025, credit Trump’s directives for letting ‘good cops be cops,’ projecting the largest one-year murder drop ever. Earlier updates noted double-digit homicide reductions on track for record lows.

A January 2026 post recapped: 20% murder drop, 210% gang takedowns, 31% fentanyl increase. The White House piece reinforces this, calling it a 126-year low tied to Trump’s leadership.

Patel emphasized on X that mass killings hit a near-20-year low since 2006, with leadership preventing incidents proactively, per a post.

Critics Question FBI’s Internal Strains

Contrasting views emerge from The New York Times, where 45 current and former FBI employees claim Patel’s changes undermine safety through mismanagement. A companion piece details ‘misleading stats, mismanagement and meltdowns’ in his first year.

Another Times article reports the FBI scouring records to discredit Trump opponents, with Sen. Charles Grassley as a leak conduit. A Guardian piece cites a leaked report of the FBI as a ‘rudderless ship’ paralyzed by fear, based on 24 sources.

Despite critiques, Patel’s X activity, like honoring a departing executive, celebrates a historic 20% murder drop and doubled arrests.

Operational Shifts Driving Results

Patel highlighted Criminal Investigative Division achievements: 20% murder drop, thousands of children located up 22%, tens of thousands of arrests doubled, per X. A December post noted Top Ten fugitive captures doubling Biden-era totals, with 25,000 violent arrests up 100% and fentanyl up 23%.

Whole-of-government efforts, including DOJ and DHS, amplified gang busts 210%, Patel posted on X. The WRGA report echoes safety gains through enforcement.

Trump backed Patel amid rumors, telling reporters on Air Force One, ‘He is doing a great job,’ per Reuters.

Media and Political Echoes

Patel’s criticism of Axios for omitting Trump in its lowest-murder-rate-since-1900 story underscores partisan divides, as in his latest X post. Positive metrics persist amid internal FBI discord reported by The Times.

Leaked assessments and employee accounts paint a turbulent bureau, yet crime data from cities and FBI claims suggest tangible gains. Patel’s visibility, including Fox News defenses, continues despite scrutiny like a Mirror US report on a live-TV error.

The debate rages: Are plummeting murders proof of effective reform, or do internal woes risk future reversals? Data and declarations point to a safer 2025, with Patel’s FBI at the forefront.