Between 2008 and 2011, 1 in every 8 murders in Atlantic City took place at Trump's Taj Mahal casino


For a period between 2008 and 2011, one in every eight murders in Atlantic City took place at Donald Trump's Taj Mahal casino. During that same period of time, there was not a single slaying at any other casino in the city, The Daily Beast reports.
The staggering number of homicides apparently stems from slashes to the Taj's security budget, which left one guard to patrol the casino's 11-story garage as well as the "entire perimeter of the property, two surface parking lots, valet parking areas, porte cochere entrance, and the bus lobby." Four people were killed at the Taj Mahal over the course of those three years, during which the average number of homicides in the city was only 11.
Though Trump owned a portion of the casino at the time, he wasn't managing daily operations — a member of New Jersey's Gaming Control Commission assured The Daily Beast that the security cuts and homicide spike "wasn't the fault of Mr. Trump." But while Trump didn't have day-to-day control of the building, he was still the chairman of the company's board, boasting 10 days before the 2008 stabbing death of Arthur Prince outside the casino that, "We're really happy with what's happened with the Taj Mahal."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Yet even following the 2010 kidnapping and murder of a man from the Taj Mahal's parking garage, criminal complaints arising from the car garage continued to increase 86 percent over the next two years. In fact, only 16 months after the 2010 murder, a couple was shot and killed in a carjacking in the garage.
Somewhat ironically, Trump has vowed that if he becomes president, national security will be a priority. However, his opponents have argued that America will actually be less safe with him at the helm. And indeed, if Trump were to run the country anything like he oversaw at the Taj, they might just be on to something.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Doom: The Dark Ages – an 'exhilarating' prequel
The Week Recommends Legendary shooter adds new combat options from timed parries to melee attacks and a 'particularly satisfying' shield charge
-
7 US cities to explore on a microtrip
The Week Recommends Not enough vacation days? No problem.
-
Sudoku medium: May 14, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
Hamas frees US hostage in deal sidelining Israel
speed read Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old soldier, was the final living US citizen held by the militant group
-
White Afrikaners land in US as Trump-declared refugees
speed read An exception was made to Trump's near-total ban on admitting refugees for the white South Africans
-
Qatar luxury jet gift clouds Trump trip to Mideast
speed read Qatar is said to be presenting Trump with a $400 million plane, which would be among the biggest foreign gifts ever received by the US government
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney post
speed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin
-
Trump, UK's Starmer outline first post-tariff deal
speed read President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Kier Starmer struck a 'historic' agreement to eliminate some of the former's imposed tariffs
-
Fed leaves rates unchanged as Powell warns on tariffs
speed read The Federal Reserve says the risks of higher inflation and unemployment are increasing under Trump's tariffs
-
Denmark to grill US envoy on Greenland spying report
speed read The Trump administration ramped up spying on Greenland, says reporting by The Wall Street Journal
-
Supreme Court allows transgender troop ban
speed read The US Supreme Court will let the Trump administration begin executing its ban on transgender military service members