CNN Analyst Agrees: Violent Crime Underreported Nationwide

When CNN’s chief data analyst Harry Enten goes on air and admits that Vice President JD Vance is right about something, you know the truth has slipped past the gatekeepers. That’s exactly what happened this week when Enten acknowledged, on Anderson Cooper’s show no less, that violent crime is “absolutely” underreported across the country — including in Washington, D.C.

Now, let’s be clear. Enten tried to play the usual game of balance. He said he doesn’t think the crime stats in D.C. are being “rigged.” But then, in the same breath, he admitted that most violent crimes across the nation go unreported. Translation: the numbers are cooked, just not necessarily on purpose. It’s a neat rhetorical trick, the kind CNN loves. Don’t call it fraud, just say it’s flawed. Don’t blame anyone, just blame “the system.”

But here’s the part the media doesn’t want to dwell on: JD Vance is not only right — he’s striking a nerve because he’s exposing something that the Democratic establishment, especially in urban strongholds like D.C., would rather keep buried. The narrative for years has been that crime is down, cities are safe, and any suggestion otherwise is just right-wing fearmongering. But the truth is more inconvenient. The stats don’t match what people are seeing and feeling on the ground, and it’s not paranoia — it’s policy failure.

Let’s talk about D.C., the capital city, where lawmakers walk past boarded-up shops and closed businesses on their way to committee hearings about “equity.” The place has become a symbol of what happens when progressive governance meets urban decay. Carjackings, assaults, and brazen thefts are no longer isolated cases — they’re routine. But the official reports keep the numbers low. Why? Because if crime isn’t reported, it doesn’t exist on paper.

This isn’t just a bureaucratic quirk. It’s a political tool. Underreporting crime allows city officials to claim success where there is none. It lets them protect their budgets, their reputations, and their narratives. And it gives their allies in the media enough cover to dismiss critics like Vance as alarmists. But Enten’s confession undercuts that entire charade. When the data guy from CNN admits the stats don’t tell the whole story, you know the dam is leaking.

The strategic implications are significant. Vance isn’t just scoring points in a vacuum. As Vice President, he’s laying the groundwork for a broader realignment — one where safety, order, and competence become Republican issues in cities long written off as Democrat territory. D.C. is a test case. If the Biden-era crime wave can be exposed in the capital, it can be exposed anywhere.

And make no mistake, Democrats know this. That’s why they’re so defensive. They’ve spent years building a soft-on-crime apparatus — from progressive prosecutors to “reform” DAs to defunded police departments — and now that the results are in, they’re scrambling to spin the data. But the public isn’t buying it. And neither, apparently, is CNN’s own analyst.

There’s also a quiet panic behind the scenes. If crime can no longer be hidden behind cooked numbers, then it becomes a political liability. Expect more efforts to reframe the issue — more talk about “root causes,” more academic jargon, more finger-pointing at Republicans for causing fear. But none of that will change the facts on the ground.

JD Vance, for his part, is playing the long game. He’s not just pointing out flaws — he’s offering a contrast. Law and order versus chaos. Accountability versus spin. It’s the kind of message that cuts through media noise and sticks with voters. Especially when even CNN ends up agreeing with him, whether they meant to or not.

The takeaway? The crime numbers are phony, the public knows it, and the Democrats are out of excuses. The only question left is how long they can keep pretending otherwise.