Not an anomaly: 2020's red states have higher murder rates

The murder rates in Trump-voting states from 2020 have exceeded those in Biden-voting states every year since 2000, according to a new analysis by ThirdWay, a center-left think tank.

Why it matters: Republicans have built their party on being the crime-fighting candidates, even as murder rates in red states have outpaced blue states by an average of 23% over the past two decades.

Four reliably-red states consistently made the top of the list — Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Missouri.

Driving the news: Third Way's report analyzed homicide data for all...