Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump celebrated declining violent crime rates during a speech at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting on Friday.

He made several claims about crime rates, suggesting crime was on the decline thanks to the efforts of his administration.

"As we protect gun rights for law abiding citizens, we're also getting guns out of the hands of violent criminals. When I took office two years ago one of my highest priorities was to reduce violent crime. In the two years before my inauguration the murder rate had increased by more than 20%," Trump said. He added, "And the United States had experienced the largest increase in violent crime in over 25 years."

Facts First: FBI data did report a 20% rise in homicides in the largest cities over the course of 2015 and 2016. And there was a sharp increase in violent crime in percentage terms between 2014 and 2016, not necessarily in total criminal incidents.

But overall, violent crime and homicide rates continued to stay at near historical lows through 2016, according to the Congressional Research Service . Violent crime rates peaked in the 1990s and have been steadily going down ever since, while the homicide rate peaked in the early 1980s with a smaller spike in the early 1990s.

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