(NewsNation) — After an effort to clean up crime in Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump announced that Memphis, Tennessee, would soon see the deployment of National Guard troops in a similar way.
Trump has called the city “deeply troubled” and said his administration would fix the issue of crime “just like we did in Washington.” According to FBI crime data, Memphis had the highest rate of murder and other violent crimes in 2024, with the White House saying the crime rate was 344% higher than the national average last year and that 149 homicides have taken place in the city so far in 2025.
Memphis police have reported a five-year low in crimes like robbery and burglary, and a six-year low in murders. They also said the rate of aggravated assaults had reached a five-year low, while sexual assaults were the lowest they had been in 20 years. Despite the decrease, on Friday, Trump expressed his concern and justified the move to Memphis.
Memphis mayor has mixed feelings on Trump Guard deployment
According to NewsNation affiliate WREG, Democratic Memphis Mayor Paul Young released a statement Thursday confirming that Trump and Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee were considering the option to send troops in to crack down on crime, along with other resources that were not clarified. Young said he believed it was not the right move.
“I do not support the National Guard — however, they are coming. It’s not the mayor’s call,” Young said.
Tennessee Republican State Sen. Brent Taylor weighed in on the matter of bringing in the National Guard, saying his constituents have welcomed the idea of the troops coming to help with bringing down crime.
“A lot of the members of the community have been asking for it for a really long time,” Taylor told NewsNation. He added that people in Memphis have said they are afraid to go outside and enjoy their neighborhoods because of the crime.
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Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, a Democrat, said he does not see the presence of the National Guard deterring crime, and that they would only deter residents from going outside out of fear. Harris said he is willing to do what it takes to make sure people are safe, but said he sees the situation escalating.
“In D.C., they said the troops would not have weapons and that the occupation would be more than 30 days, they now have been there longer than 30 days and the troops are carrying sidearms,” Harris said. “All evidence suggests that this is an occupation, and we have to stand up because this is inconsistent with American values.”
