‘Worse Than Trinidad and Tobago’ US VP JD Vance sparks backlash with crime rate comparison

Trinidad and Tobago: The Vice President of United States of America, JD Vance, on Wednesday morning stirred a controversy after he compared Washington DC’s crime levels to those of the twin island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. According to the information, the Caribbean nation is presently under a US State Department 3rd level travel advisory because of the severe risks from crime as well as increased risks of kidnapping and terrorism.  

VP JD Vance was speaking from inside a Shack Shack held at Union Station where he addressed the National Guard troops who are deployed as part of a sweeping intervention to curb violence in the capital.  

While citing a controversial comparison, Vance said that Washington DC has a higher crime rate than Trinidad and Tobago. This statement was made by him as he was giving justification for the aggressive federal presence of the administration in the city.  

“You hear these guys outside, they appear to hate the idea that Americans can enjoy their communities, and they do. The fact that D.C., a week ago had a higher murder rate than Trinidad and Tobago, which the United States State Department has said you shouldn't visit because it's unsafe. We ought to be able to enjoy great American cities. That's what we're trying to do in the Trump administration. And we want to thank all of our law enforcement and National Guardsmen for making it possible,” he quoted. 

He added that when an American city has worse crime statistics than a destination that the government warns tourists not to visit, that is not just a local, but a national embarrassment. 

Protesters booed and chanted “shame” as Vance addressed National Guard troops with some even saying that comparison with a small island nation is highly unacceptable with a country like USA. 

Notably, the statement comes just over a week after the White House called for federal forces into Washington DC to fight what it regarded as a ‘public safety emergency’. It is reported that since then, the administration claims that violent crime in the capital is down by 35 percent and robberies have also dropped by more than half.  

Meanwhile, critics argue that the intervention risks federal overreach and is politically motivated. Protesters also gathered outside Union Station during the alleged event with some also denouncing what they called the “militarization” of a majority-Black city that has allegedly long struggled with structural inequality and underinvestment.