The City of Memphis is next on President Donald Trump’s list for a National Guard deployment.
“We’re going to Memphis," he said Friday morning on Fox & Friends. "Memphis is deeply troubled. And the mayor is happy, he's a Democrat mayor, the mayor is happy and the governor of Tennessee. The governor is happy. Deeply troubled. We're going to fix that just like we did Washington. I would have preferred going to Chicago."
Explaining his rationale, Trump said he had asked an unnamed railroad executive where to send troops next.
"He said, 'Sir, Memphis will be good because' — he's on the board of FedEx — 'when I walk one block to my hotel they won't allow me to do it. They put me in an armored vehicle with bulletproof glass to take me one block.' He said it's so terrible."
Trump said he would be deploying the National Guard, "and by the way, we'll bring in the military, too, if we need it."
Earlier this week, both Memphis Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, released statements acknowledging recent talks about federal intervention in Memphis to help with crime.
Both stopped short of calling for the Tennessee National Guard or the military.
Mayor Young has advocated for more law enforcement personnel.
"We agree with Governor Lee that effective support for Memphis comes through focused initiatives that deliver results like we have seen with the FBI, state troopers, and other law enforcement partnerships. What we need most are financial resources for intervention and prevention, additional patrol officers, and case support to strengthen MPD's investigations," Young said.
In a statement Friday, Gov. Lee said he has been in "constant communication" with the Trump Administration to develop a strategic plan.
"The next phase will include a comprehensive mission with the Tennessee National Guard, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Memphis Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies, and we are working closely with the Trump Administration to determine the most effective role for each of these agencies to best serve Memphians."
Lee said he would be speaking with President Trump today to work out the details of the "mission."
Lee also noted that another, previously unannounced task force of local, state and federal officials called Operation Viper has already made progress through targeting the city's most violent offenders. An ongoing surge of Tennessee Highway Patrol officers in Shelby County in 2023 called Operation Grizzly focused on reducing drag racing and traffic fatalities. Gov. Lee called for more than 50 additional troopers to be stationed here.
Over the past eight months, Memphis crime overall has reached a 25 year low, according to recent statistics released Tuesday by the Memphis Police Department. The biggest drop has been in robbery, larceny and burglary. Murder is at a six-year low, with 146 deaths compared to 181 last year and 225 in 2023 after eight months.
On Friday, political leaders responded to Trump's announcement.
Democrats questioned the necessity of having the National Guard presence, when soldiers cannot legally do the work of law enforcement, such as making arrests.
In a post on X Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said "the President's incursion will likely cause confusion and fear in many of our communities, particularly the most vulnerable ones."
State Democratic Caucus Chairwoman Sen. London Lamar said "If President Trump truly wanted to help, he’d restore the hundreds of millions in police and crime prevention funding> his administration cut in April. And if Tennessee Republicans were serious about safety, they’d fix our broken gun laws and invest in good jobs, safe housing and health care — the real solutions that keep families safe."
Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy said the city and county welcomed more law enforcement agents, such as the FBI, DEA, ATF. But he called a military deployment "performative and leaving no lasting impact."
Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers praised Trump's announcement, but offered few details about how the troops would carry out supporting law enforcement.
State Senator Brent Taylor from Eads said he had been in conversations with U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn. "The senator and I have talked about how National Guard troops can best be used as a force multiplier to support local, state and federal law enforcement officials."
He said their presence could include "administrative and logistical support."
