Bill Maher credits Trump’s ‘kick a–’ crime approach as violent offenses fall across America

Comedian Bill Maher offered surprising praise for President Donald Trump’s handling of crime Friday, telling his audience that the president’s tough-guy persona may have played a role in a nationwide drop in violent crime.

“It’s not just drug crime that’s way down, it’s all crime,” Maher said during Friday’s episode of HBO’s “Real Time,” adding, “And again, probably much of it is not political. It’s because you can’t move two inches in America without being tracked, photographed, and followed by a Flock camera.”

According to the late-night host, the president is a “bad a–” and it’s childish to pretend” his tough on crime stance isn’t having an impact. 

Maher went on to credit both Democratic policies and Trump with contributing to lower nationwide crime rates.

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Bill Maher attends the Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Mark Guiducci at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on March 15, 2026, in Los Angeles, Calif. (FilmMagic via Getty Images)

“It’s also because when Democrats expand the safety net, there are less desperate people,” Maher said. “And because Trump is a bad a–.”

Maher added that while he does not “agree with many of [Trump’s] methods,” he cannot argue that the president’s tough-on-crime approach has yielded successful results.

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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks alongside Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel during a press conference in the Oval Office of the White House on October 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“Is doing it this way the right thing? No. But it’s just childish to pretend that when you elect a f—around-and-find-out president, a no-more-Mr.-Nice-Guy, boot-in-your-a–, ‘V for Vendetta,’ kick-a– and take names, say-hello-to-my-little-friend president, that’s not going to have some effect on crime,” he continued.

“He has UFC fights on the lawn,” Maher concluded. “I think the bad guys got the message.”

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President Donald Trump attends the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept. 22, 2026. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

According to the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer, reported violent crime nationwide fell 9% from June 2025 through May 2026. Robbery saw the steepest drop, at 19.4%, followed by murder at 18.7%, rape at 10% and aggravated assault at 6.2%.

Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Jason Pack also pointed to the potential for bipartisan agreement on crime, telling Fox News Digital that “people may have strong disagreements with other parts of an agenda,” but that “there can still be common ground around getting violent offenders off the street and making neighborhoods safer.”

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“You don’t have to wear somebody’s campaign button to admit when something appears to be working. That’s probably why you’re hearing even some of the president’s critics acknowledge what they’re seeing on crime,” Pack said.

He emphasized the need for collaboration among local, state and federal law enforcement to make a meaningful difference in fighting crime across the country.

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“People can and do disagree about politics. That’s nothing new. But most folks want the same things when they get home at the end of the day,” Pack said, adding, “We may never get all the way back to the days when people left the front door unlocked, but folks ought to be able to feel secure in their own neighborhood and know violent offenders are being taken off the street. That’s not red or blue. It seems to me that’s red, white and blue.”

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The White House also praised the decline in crime, pointing to the statistics in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“President Trump promised to make America safe again and the data proves he has done just that. He has delivered the largest decrease in violent crime in American history,” a White House spokesperson said. “Unlike Defund-the-Police Democrats, President Trump will always stand with our law enforcement officers and deliver safer American neighborhoods.”