Trump says National Guard troops heading to Memphis to fight crime
The troops are welcomed by city and state leadership, Trump said.
- "We're going to Memphis," Trump announced.
- Memphis had the country's highest murder rate in 2024.
WASHINGTON ‒ President Donald Trump said he's deploying the National Guard to Memphis, choosing a city in a Republican-controlled state where the governor welcomes the intervention as the next target in his crime crackdown.
"We're going to Memphis," Trump said Sept. 12 on Fox News' "Fox & Friends," calling Memphis "deeply troubled" and adding that Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican ally of Trump, and the city's Democratic Mayor Paul Young are both "happy" about the plans. "We're going to fix that, just like we fixed Washington."
Memphis, which has long struggled with crime, had the highest rates of murder and other violent crime of any large city in the country in 2024, according to a USA TODAY analysis of FBI data from 30 cities with more than 500,000 residents. Memphis had 40.6 homicides per 100,000 people compared to a rate of 25.5 per 100,000 in the nation's capital, which ranked fifth.
Young said he did notrequest the National Guard, but he had been in communication with federal officials seeking additional aid to supplement local crime-fighting efforts.
"I do not think it’s the way to drive down crime. However, that decision has been made," Young said during a news conference.
Memphis Mayor: No 'authority to stop' troops
For weeks, Trump has discussed plans to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago, but the proposal has drawn fierce resistance from the state's Democratic governor, J.B. Pritzker. Citing a desire for cooperation from local and state leaders, Trump last week floated New Orleans ‒ which, like Memphis, is in a Republican-led state ‒ as a potential target before landing on Memphis.
"I would have preferred going to Chicago," Trump said.
When asked if he was happy about troops coming to Memphis, Young said it was an "overstatement." He added that he was focused on additional resources, including getting FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) officers to Memphis.
"Those are the things that I believe will truly help us be able to support law enforcement and reduce violent crime. I do not support the National Guard," Young said. "However, they are (the governor's) call. It's not the mayor's call. The mayor doesn't have...an authority to stop them.
"And so my goal is to make sure that as they come that I have an opportunity to work with them, to strategize on how they engage in this community," Young said.
Tennessee governor 'grateful' for Trump's focus on Memphis
Trump did not say how many National Guard troops he plans to deploy to Memphis, the second-largest city in Tennessee behind Nashville. "We'll bring in the military, too, if we need it," he said.
Lee, in a statement, welcomed the Guard's deployment, saying he's been in "constant communication" with the Trump administration for months about a plan to combat crime in Memphis.
He said the operation will include the Tennessee National Guard, FBI and other law enforcement agencies working with state and local agencies. The goal is to complement an FBI initiative called "Operation Viper," which is aimed at reducing crime in Memphis.
“I’m grateful for the President’s unwavering support and commitment to providing every resource necessary to serve Memphians, and I look forward to working with local officials and law enforcement to continue delivering results," Lee said. "As one of America’s world-class cities, Memphis remains on a path to greatness, and we are not going to let anything hold them back," he said.
Lee's consent will ease the deployments and will likely permit other states to send National Guard troops in state-controlled status, permitting them to directly assist in law enforcement.
Young recognized Lee's comments and said some of the fear he has is also the fear of the community.
Young said there are many unknowns.
"My team and I will be discussing those questions with the governor and the federal government. When will they come? How many people are going to come? How long will they be here? What are they going to wear? Where are they going to be, geographically in the city, what assignments will they have?" Young said. "Those are all questions that we have and that we are going to work through together as a community."
Standing behind Young was Congressman Steve Cohen, Tennessee's lone Democratic congressman who represents Memphis, along with Memphis Police Department Chief Cerelyn "C.J." Davis, Memphis Tourism President and CEO Kevin Kane, and newly elected Shelby County Commission Chairwoman Shante K Avant. They all took exception with Trump's characterization of Memphis.
“Memphis is not ‘a troubled city,’ as President Trump has said," Cohen said in a statement. "We have a crime problem." He blamed the city's crime rate on the effects of slavery, segregation and under-investment.
“In the short run, the Guard can help the police in a supportive role," Cohen added. "In the long run, Memphis needs federal dollars invested in proven programs."
Trump is one month into his crime crackdown in Washington, DC, which has involved deploying more than 2,200 National Guard troops to patrol the streets. But unlike other American cities, DC's status as a federal enclave gives Trump special authority to deploy National Guard troops. In the states, governors traditionally oversee mobilizations.
Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 11 directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to "coordinate with state governors" to determine whether National Guard troops are needed in their communities.
Trump recounts hearing from FedEx board member
Trump recounted hearing from a board member of FedEx, which is based in Memphis, about the city's crime problem.
"He said, 'When I walk one block from 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, without identifying the individual.
Trump calls DC crime crackdown successful
Trump has hailed his crime crackdown in Washington, DC, as a wild success, and even DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has agreed to an increased federal presence that has helped reduce the number of homicides, carjackings and gun crimes.
Yet, Bowser has also said the federal intervention has led to a "break in trust" between the community and law enforcement.
Trump, meanwhile, has exaggerated the scale of the turnaround, saying that the district now has "literally no crime" and describing a city where people were too scared to eat at restaurants before his takeover. When Trump announced his takeover, violent crime was already down in DC by 26% from 2024, according to the Metropolitan Police Department..
The Trump administration has faced lawsuits over the National Guard deployment in Washington as well as from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, after the president ordered Guard troops to Los Angeles to combat protests.
Contributing: Terry Collins, Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY