Trump VP Favorite Sees Rising Crime in Home State
The bookies' favorite to be former President Donald Trump's running mate, Governor Doug Burgum, is facing claims that rising crime in his home state of North Dakota could make him a liability.
The Context
Speculation that Doug Burgum could be Trump's next pick for vice president began after social media users noted that the web address trumpburgum.com automatically redirects to Donald Trump's official campaign website.
Some experts have already said that nominating Burgum could be a mistake, and that Trump should select a female running mate, like former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee has indicated that he will announce his running mate at the Republican National Convention, which kicks off on July 15, just a few days after the former president is due to be sentenced in the New York hush money case.
His campaign website says "there is no higher priority than quickly restoring law and order and public safety in America."
What We Know
North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley said in a recent interview with WDAY-TV that crime is steadily increasing in the state.
"The crime rates in North Dakota are on the rise, and it's a matter we need to address urgently," Wrigley said.
Violent crimes such as murder, assault and kidnapping were up 2.9 percent in 2023, according to the attorney general's yearly crime statistics and trends report. Crimes related to drugs and weapons violations increased 2.1 percent in the same period.
Violent crime in the state has risen more than 20 percent between 2013 and 2023, according to the North Dakota Crime Statistics website. Drug and alcohol related crimes increased 6.6 percent in the same period.
Newsweek has reached out to Wrigley via email for comment.
Former US president and Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump listens as North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum speaks during a "commit to caucus rally" in Indianola, Iowa, on January 14, 2024. Christian MONTERROSA/Getty Images Entertainment/GC Images
Views
The increase in crime could be detrimental to a potential Trump-Burgum ticket, according to Iwan Morgan, emeritus professor of U.S. studies at University College London's Institute of the Americas.
"There is a danger that if he selects a running mate who is governor of a state where crime is rising in contravention of national trends then he opens himself up to greater media scrutiny of his claims," Morgan told Newsweek.
"Democratic strategists are also going to seize on the issue if Burgum is on the ticket," he added.
When asked about rising crime in North Dakota, Steven Cheung, a representative for Donald Trump, told Newsweek, "High crime rates – only in Joe Biden's America. His disgusting pro-criminal and open border policies have led to widespread crime across the country."
Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment via email.
Trump has long made high crime rates in the U.S. a major focus of his campaign, though this isn't borne out by the data.
"Whereas Trump is telling rallies that America's cities are violent hell-holes of almost anarchic crime, the FBI judges matters differently," said Morgan.
Preliminary data released by the FBI in June indicated that violent crime was down 15.2 percent year-on-year, with murder down 26.4 percent.
Morgan said Trump was not weighed down by knowledge of data, and will continue to fire away at his "core themes."
Governor of North Dakota Doug Burgum visits The Big Money Show at Fox Business Network Studios on June 13, 2024, in New York City. Steven Ferdman/Getty Images
Burgum's spokesperson, Mike Nowatzki, told Newsweek that "public safety is a top priority for the governor."
"For the year in which final stats are available nationally, the crime rate in North Dakota in 2022 was 27 per cent lower than the United States Average. North Dakota also is in the bottom third of states when it comes to violent crime rate."
"Gov. Burgum believes in Backing the Blue with action, not just words. To that end, he has championed and signed numerous bills supporting law enforcement," he added.
Nowatzki cited five bills which have been signed by Burgum, including policies exempting law enforcement retirement pay from state income tax, providing $3.5 million that can be used for hiring and retention bonuses to law enforcement officers and adjusting retirement benefits for agents at the state's Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Burgum has also sent North Dakota National Guard solders to the southern border and joined the American Governor's Border Strike Force, Nowatzki said.
The group of 26 Republican governors was set up to "take action" on border security, according to Greg Abbott and Doug Ducey, governors of Texas and Arizona, respectively. None of the other states in the group share a land border with Mexico, on which the Strike Force is focused. North Dakota borders Canada.
What's Next?
Morgan, the UCL professor, said Burgum could "bring other things to the ticket. His record as a successful businessman would shore up Trump's claims that his second administration would do better on the economy than Biden."
"He also has specific knowledge of energy and environmental issues that would add real meat to Trump's generalized statements on these policy domains."
Morgan went on to clarify that, "For Trump, however, fealty to him is the key criterion for VP selection after his experience with Mike Pence. That is where Burgum really has to cut the mustard!"
Wilson said, "'law and order' is a concern of the electorate, but winning is more important." She believes that Ohio senator J.D. Vance is the choice of "any reasonable political strategy" to ensure "solid" wins in Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Trump is currently ahead by 10 percentage points in Ohio, according to a Real Clear Politics polling average. He has far narrower leads in Michigan (+0.2) and Pennsylvania (+2.8) and is tied with Biden in Wisconsin.
The two men go head-to-head in their first debate on Thursday night.
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