Trump downplays domestic violence in speech about religious freedom

September 8, 2025

President Trump has sparked controversy by minimizing domestic violence as "things that take place in the home they call crime" while discussing crime reduction statistics in Washington, D.C. during a speech at the Religious Liberty Commission meeting. His comments contradict long-standing federal recognition of domestic violence as a public health crisis, with CDC data showing that 4 in 10 women and 1 in 4 men experience intimate partner violence. The Trump administration has previously restricted access to federal domestic violence grants and eliminated staff working on these issues, despite October marking the 25th annual Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Who is affected

Survivors of domestic violence
Women and children at risk of domestic violence
Nonprofit organizations working on domestic violence prevention and services
Transgender women seeking shelter from abuse
Recipients of federal domestic violence grants and services

What action is being taken

The Trump administration is restricting nonprofits' access to federal domestic violence grants
Domestic violence prevention organizations are publicly criticizing the President's comments
Democratic representatives who are survivors of domestic violence are speaking out against the President's remarks
The White House is defending the President's comments, claiming they were not meant to downplay domestic violence

Why it matters

Domestic violence is recognized as a national public health and safety crisis, affecting 4 in 10 women and 1 in 4 men
The President's comments potentially undermine decades of progress in recognizing domestic violence as a serious crime rather than a private matter
Federal funding is the largest source of support for anti-domestic violence efforts nationwide
Advocates warn that minimizing domestic violence could embolden abusers and reverse cultural progress that has made safety a community responsibility
October marks the 25th annual Domestic Violence Awareness Month, coinciding with the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization anniversary

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The 19th