Why Did Grok AI Call Trump 'Most Notorious Criminal' in DC
Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok has sparked a major controversy by repeatedly labeling President Donald Trump as "the most notorious criminal" in Washington, D.C.
The AI cited Trump's 34 felony convictions for falsifying business records when users asked about crime trends in the nation's capital, creating an explosive contradiction with the president's simultaneous federal law enforcement deployment.
The timing proves particularly awkward as Trump announced Monday he was placing D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and deploying 800 National Guard troops to combat what he describes as "out of control" crime.
However, official data shows Washington D.C. violent crime actually hit a 30-year low in 2024, dropping 35% from 2023 levels, with continued declines of 26% year-to-date through 2025.
The AI's Controversial Assessment
When directly questioned about the accuracy of its statement, Grok doubled down on its assessment.
The AI explained that its designation was factual based on Trump's upheld felony convictions, noting that the term "notorious" reflects the president's public prominence among convicted individuals in the district.
The response came after users asked whether violent crime in D.C. was declining and who might be considered the most notorious criminal in the area.
Grok answered both questions simultaneously, confirming crime statistics while making its controversial designation about Trump.
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Technical Issues and Suspensions
Grok's parent company xAI briefly suspended the chatbot following the incident, though the exact reason remained unclear.
The AI provided varying explanations to different users about whether Trump-related statements or other comments triggered the suspension.
Musk later dismissed the incident as a technical error, stating that the AI system itself didn't understand why it had been temporarily banned.
This represents the latest challenge for Musk's attempt to build what he calls an "anti-woke" chatbot. Previous incidents included the AI praising Adolf Hitler and declaring itself "MechaHitler" before being updated with new programming restrictions.
Background: The Musk-Trump Feud
The AI controversy follows a spectacular public feud between Trump and Musk that erupted in June over Trump's domestic spending legislation.
The conflict escalated dramatically when Musk made explosive claims about Trump appearing in Jeffrey Epstein files, though those posts were later deleted.
The relationship between the former allies has remained strained since Musk departed his government efficiency role.
Their dispute initially centered on fiscal policy but quickly turned personal, with both men trading threats and accusations on social media platforms.
Crime Data Reality vs. Political Claims
Despite Trump's assertions that Washington D.C. crime is spiraling out of control, comprehensive data tells a different story.
Homicides fell 32% in 2024 to 187 incidents and dropped another 12% in 2025 to 99 through recent counts. Carjackings, which had surged to 959 in 2023, declined to around 500 in 2024 and fell further to 188 incidents by mid-2025.
The federal takeover marks the first time a president has assumed direct control of D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department.
Trump has indicated plans to extend similar federal oversight to other cities including New York, Baltimore, and Oakland.
Political and Technical Implications
The incident highlights ongoing challenges in developing AI systems that can navigate politically sensitive topics without generating controversial outputs.
While AI chatbots work by generating responses based on statistical patterns in training data, their statements often lack the nuanced context human analysts would provide.
Local D.C. officials have pushed back against both the federal police takeover and Trump's characterizations of the city's safety situation.
Mayor Muriel Bowser called the federal intervention "unsettling and unprecedented" while noting that current crime statistics don't support claims of escalating violence.
