CNN's Jake Tapper points out that crime has been falling, Trump camp says FBI stats can't be trusted

[Cali_Democrat]

Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort dismissed the FBI’s crime stats tonight because of the Hillary Clinton email investigation.

No, seriously.

CNN’s Jake Tapper brought up what Republicans have claimed all week about crime, telling Manafort, “Crime rates have been going down for decades.” (The convention arena chanted “All Lives Matter!” as he talked about this.)

Manafort told him, “I’m not sure what statistics you’re talking about.”

Tapper explained it’s official stats from the FBI.

Manafort smirked a bit and said, “Well, the FBI’s certainly suspect these days after what they just did with Hillary Clinton.”

Right after Manafort spoke, Tapper told him, “I wasn’t talking about feelings, I was just talking about the facts of actual violent crime.”

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/manafort-doubts-fbis-crime-stats-after-what-they-did-with-hillary-clinton/

[Warren DeMontague]

1. Many are in denial about statistics like that, because it conflicts with their narrative.

Any data which contradicts the narrative must be ignored.


They have certain set assumptions about "the way things are" or more specifically, what is wrong with society or the way things are run, along with this bleak worldview they are deeply invested in.

If you point out, for instance, that the world is more peaceful and prosperous now than it has been at any time in the past, for instance, or that by several important metrics things are getting better for the human animal, some people go absolutely bonkers.

[applegrove]

2. No. Mana fort was gaslight ing Taper. Glad CNN is fighting back on that.

[Warren DeMontague]

4. Thats exactly my point. People have these beliefs about our "culture in crisis", etc

That simply dont gel with reality, so mentioning actual crime statistics... it's like talking to someone from another planet.

People get very upset when their narrative is challenged, angry and defensive even.

But as you say, the facts are the facts, the facts dont change just because they are inconvenient to someone like Trump's agenda.

[Cali_Democrat]

11. Exactly. nt

[EL34x4]

3. Many Americans think the crime rate is rising

because violent crime seems to be all the news talks about these days.

I let my kids play outside unsupervised. My neighbors think I'm negligent. I tell them it's safer today than it was during the 70s when I was a kid and playing outside unsupervised. They look at me like I'm nuts. "Safer today? No way! Don't you watch the news! There's sickos everywhere!!!"

[Warren DeMontague]

5. Yep. It used to be the sickos were only out at 5 and 10 pm

But oddly enough, since the advent of round the clock cable news they are out there 24-7!

[Chakab]

6. The "war on cops" nonsense that they're spinning is especially unnerving. The number of police

deaths resulting from homicide has been falling steadily for decades. When you factor in the population and look at per capita deaths, you see that the Obama years are one of the safest eras for law enforcement in the history of the country.

Most people are totally clueless about the fact that the leading cause of death for law enforcement officers is actually motor vehicle accidents.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

7. The world is always coming to an end under democrats.

[malaise]

8. I was laughing when Don the Con was pushing the crime everywhere

We should trust Don the Con over the FBI - they are fugging crazy

[C_U_L8R]

9. Paulie Walnuts Manafort ought to know about crime

He seems right out of central casting for a bad actor

[Snarkoleptic]

10. I know Godwin's law states I lose by mentioning this, but

whoever is speaking on stage (sounds like the Drumpfenfuhrer), sounds rather like a certain German leader from the 30's and 40's.

[kwolf68]

12. Data is wrong!!!!

We are entering an age where one party/group of people/ideology simply does not care what stats, facts, figures, research, analysis says.

This is one of the most frightening things about this new breed of Conservative. They are hostile toward knowledge, unless that knowledge fits their narrative. They ENJOY that kind of knowledge. Enjoy it so much they'll "create" the knowledge, even if it means faking data to advance their paradigm.

[Wounded Bear]

13. We're fighting decades of the RW narrative...

that we can't trust anyone, gov't, law enforcement, media, whatever.

Like Trump said and like they want their minions to believe, he's the only one telling them the truth and he's the only one that can turn things around.