Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens Disputes Trump’s Claims at Rally: Fact Check

_{Published August 5, 2024}

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens had some strong words to say about former President Donald Trump after a recent rally at Georgia State University’s Convocation Center. According to a video Dickens posted on Instagram, he sees Trump as desperate, dangerous, divisive, a liar, and terrifed. He believes Trump is acting out of “fear and revenge”, mainly against Vice President Kamala Harris.

Setting the Record Straight

Mayor Dickens suggests that Trump spent at least an hour and a half telling fibs about Atlanta, Georgia, Georgia State University, Kamala Harris, President Biden, and even members of his own party. He took issue with Trump’s portrayal of Georgia as a state that has “gone to hell” and his description of Atlanta as a “killing field”.

But here’s the thing. Georgia actually had the fourth highest drop in violent crime across all major U.S. cities last year. This year, it has seen even more a decrease. While no one is saying Atlanta is peaceful paradise, it’s certainly not a “killing field”. Sure, shoot-outs and deaths are sadly part of the daily news in Atlanta. But is the situation as bad as it’s being painted?

A Deeper Dive into Crime Stats

According to the FBI, back in 2020, Georgia had about 400.1 violent incidents for every 100,000 people. Yes, it was a bit higher than the national average. But guess what? The rate dropped to 367 incidents per 100,000 people in 2022 – which is below the national average of 380.1.

The Atlanta Police Department (APD) reports there were 69 homicides in Atlanta as of July 20th, 2024. That’s just one more than this time last year. But let’s face it, whether it’s one or one hundred, any life lost is one too many.

An Issue of Attendance

Mayor Dickens also debunked Trump’s claim regarding rally attendance. Trump was of the view that Georgia State University stopped more people from attending his rally. To this, Dickens simply countered, “If you wanted more people, you should have managed to attract more people.”

Now, let’s be clear. There were indeed videos and photos posted on social media showing some empty seats at the rally. But that doesn’t mean Trump had trouble pulling in a crowd. In fact, there were still thousands out there waiting to get in when the doors were closed.

Conclusion

Mayor Dickens wrapped things up by saying he spent the day with Black voters and volunteers for Harris. He mentioned plans to make as many calls as possible to drum up support for the Vice President in Georgia. Harris is due to return to Georgia very soon, and this time she will be bringing her pick for Vice President along. A lot is happening, folks, so let’s see how things unfold.