Trump Says He Is Now Sending National Guard to Memphis
President Donald Trump has announced plans to deploy National Guard troops to Memphis, citing ongoing crime issues in what he called a “deeply troubled” city. Speaking on Fox & Friends Friday morning, Trump said, “We’re going to Memphis,” adding, “We’ll straighten that out — National Guard and anybody else we need. And by the way, we’ll bring in the military, too, if we need it.”
The move comes after a USA Today analysis of FBI data showed Memphis had the highest rate of violent crime in the U.S. last year, with 2,501 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. Detroit ranked second with 1,781 per 100,000.
Trump compared the situation to previous efforts in Washington, D.C., saying, “We’re going to fix that just like we did Washington.” He also described Memphis as “a great, music city.”
According to CNN, Trump said the deployment has the backing of Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Memphis Mayor Paul Young. “The mayor is happy — he’s a Democrat mayor — the mayor is happy,” Trump claimed. “And the governor, Tennessee, the governor is happy.”
However, a source told The Commercial Appeal that while Lee, Young, and Senator Bill Hagerty have been in talks for months about addressing crime in Memphis, those discussions did not include plans to deploy the National Guard. The source said they were “blindsided” by the recent proposal.
In a statement Thursday, Mayor Young did not directly address whether he supports the use of troops. Instead, he emphasized the need for “financial resources for intervention and prevention, additional patrol officers, and case support” to help strengthen the Memphis Police Department’s investigative capacity.
Previous National Guard deployments to cities like Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., have resulted in legal challenges from local officials. However, as USA Today notes, having the governor’s support may make the Memphis operation smoother. In California, for example, the National Guard was deployed without the state’s consent, limiting their authority. When governors approve the deployment, National Guard troops are permitted to make arrests without violating federal law.
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