Brian Stelter suggests worrying about crime is part of a 'Republican narrative'

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CNN's Brian Stelter suggests crime concerns are part of 'Republican narrative'

CNN host Brian Stelter suggested that worrying about crime was part of a Republican narrative during Sunday's "Reliable Sources."

CNN's Brian Stelter suggested Sunday during his show, "Reliable Sources," that concerns about crime are a part of a Republican narrative. 

GOP strategist Kristen Soltis Anderson joined Stelter to talk about "the disconnect between the press and the public." Stelter referenced the results of the New York Times focus groups, which Soltis Anderson helped conduct. 

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CNN media reporter and host of "Reliable Sources" Brian Stelter (Kevin Mazur)

Soltis Anderson said that the average American voter was mostly focused on the challenges they face in their day-to-day lives. She added that those challengers are not always being covered by the media. 

Stelter asked Anderson if the Republican narratives are "beating" the Democratic narratives. 

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"When I hear you say they're worried about crime, I kind of hear a Republican narrative," Stelter said. She said swing voters would probably push back against Stelter's claim. 

Stelter followed up and said that "right-wing media" covers the issue of crime frequently, saying "maybe that's what I mean." The GOP strategist said in the research she's seen, the priorities of swing voters in the middle of the political aisle look more like Republican priorities. 

According to FBI, the number of murders increased during the pandemic in cities across the country.  (Rashaad McFadden/Getty Images)

"Back in 2018, I would have said the opposite, you had swing voters in the middle that were really worried about things like pre-existing conditions, healthcare. They didn't like Donald Trump very much," Anderson said. "In 2018, those swing voters probably looked a little more like Democrats in terms of their priorities but this year for the midterms, it's the opposite."

U.S. President Joe Biden, flanked by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan and senior aide Steve Ricchetti, holds a meeting on infrastructure with labor and business leaders at the White House in Washington. (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst )

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President Biden announced in April as part of his strategy to combat rising crime a rule that makes "ghost guns," or guns without serial numbers, illegal. Experts attributed the rise in crime to progressive policies put forth as part of the "defund the police" movement, following the death of George Floyd in 2020. 

A new poll released Sunday found that Americans trust Republicans to handle inflation, crime and the economy over Democrats. 

Forty-seven percent of Americans favored the Republican Party to handle the spike in crime, compared to just 35% that preferred the Democratic Party.