Trump’s Claim re: Chicago

Apparently, there is a shopping mall in Chicago with a 28% vacancy rate. I’m not an expert in commercial real estate, but that doesn’t sound terrible, given what I’ve seen the few times I’ve had the misfortune to be in such a facility.  They seem like ghost towns (see pic below).

The popularity of shopping malls has been falling over the last couple of decades, exacerbated by e-commerce and finally COVID-19, which had a crippling effect on top of America’s falling affinity for this type of shopping experience.

Making Trump’s claim even less supportable is the fact that the crime rate in Chicago is not rising.  An AI overview:

Chicago’s overall crime rate is higher than the U.S. average, with a total crime rate of 4,012.2 per 100,000 people and a violent crime rate of 539.8 per 100,000 people. However, recent data from November 2025 show significant decreases in violent crime, including a 24% drop in homicides and shootings, and a 41% drop in robberies compared to the same period in 2024. The city’s violent crime rate has increased over the past decade, largely driven by increases in vehicle thefts and assaults, although some reports show an overall decrease in violent crime for 2023 and 2024. 

Even through the barrage of nonstop lies, Trump somehow manages to maintain the support of 33% of American voters.  It’s hard to imagine how this is possible.