‘The Purge’ in America? Trump Suggests Bizarre 'One Really Violent Day' to Solve Crime Problem

At a recent rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, former US president Donald Trump casually suggested a shocking idea that 'one day of violence' would put an end to crime in the United States. While expressing concerns over the supposedly increasing crime rates, which he claimed was "at a level we’ve never seen," he said, “Now, if you had one really violent day … one rough hour, and I mean real rough. The word will get out and it will end immediately.” The concept is similar to a fictional film series called The Purge, in which all crime, no matter how violent, is legal for one night of the year, which leads to a drastic fall in crime rates.

Soon after Trump suggested the idea, The Purge trended on social media and users started criticizing his statement and comparing it to the horror film, which reportedly wasn't happening for the first time. According to USA Today, at least one film in the series takes a hit at the previous Trump administration. In 2016, shortly before Trump's election, the makers of the franchise released the third film, The Purge: Election Year. The film’s tagline, “Keep America Great,” hinted at Trump’s campaign slogan and the commercials ran alongside his advertisements, featuring the line, “I purge to keep my country great.” 

After the Erie event, a Trump campaign spokesperson addressed the people regarding his radical statement and said that the former president was "clearly just floating it in jest." Shedding light on Trump's administrative duties, Steven Cheung, the campaign’s communications director, said in a statement, “President Trump has always been the law and order President and he continues to reiterate the importance of enforcing existing laws.” As per The New York Times, Trump had also previously encouraged law enforcement to use more force during arrests, proposed the quick execution of shoplifters, and remarked that he would not be a dictator “except for Day 1.” 

The comments made by Trump at the rally highlighted another obligatory issue: property crimes, which he claims are on the rise. Trump said these crimes went unnoticed because the police could not fulfill their duties. He said, “See, we have to let the police do their job, and if they have to be extraordinarily rough. And you know, the funny thing with all of that stuff, look at the department store, same thing …  You see these guys walking out with air conditioners, with refrigerators on their back, the craziest thing, and the police aren’t allowed to do their job."

He further took a jab at the liberal left saying, “They’re told, if you do anything, you’re going to lose your pension — you’re going to lose your family, your house, your car. The police want to do it. The border patrol wants to do it … They’re not allowed to do it because the liberal left won’t let him do it. The liberal left wants to destroy them, and they want to destroy our country.” However, the F.B.I. last week reported a decline in last year's property crime, disregarding Trump's claims.