US President Donald Trump is facing criticism after his recent comments about domestic violence. During a speech on religious freedom on Monday, Trump suggested that some incidents of domestic violence were “lesser” crimes and should not be counted in crime statistics.
The Republican leader, who often highlights his efforts to bring “law and order” by deploying federal agents and soldiers, accused his opponents of inflating crime numbers to attack his record.
“Much lesser things, things that take place in the home, they call crime,” Trump said in his speech. “If a man has a little fight with the wife, they say this was a crime,” he added. The remarks drew some laughter from the audience, according to a journalist from AFP who attended the event.
The comments immediately sparked outrage from women’s rights groups and political leaders. The National Organization for Women (NOW) sharply criticised Trump, saying he was ignoring the seriousness of domestic violence in America.
“Donald Trump showed us again what’s in his heart when he called domestic violence a ‘lesser crime,’” said Kim Villanueva, the president of NOW. She argued that such statements undermine years of work done to recognise and combat abuse inside homes.
Kris Mayes, the Democratic attorney general of Arizona, also condemned Trump’s words. Writing on X, formerly Twitter, she said, “Yes, Mr. President, domestic violence is a crime.”
Experts point out that domestic violence remains a major problem in the United States. According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 41 percent of women and 26 percent of men in the country have faced sexual violence, physical violence, or stalking from an intimate partner at some point in their lives.
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Shivam Verma is a journalist with over three years of experience in digital newsrooms. He currently works at NewsX, having previously worked for Firstpost and DNA India. A postgraduate diploma holder in Integrated Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, Shivam focuses on international affairs, diplomacy, defence, and politics. Beyond the newsroom, he is passionate about football—both playing and watching—and enjoys travelling to explore new places and cuisines.
