(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump announced Friday that National Guard troops will be deployed to Memphis, referring to the Tennessee city as “deeply troubled.”
Memphis had the highest rate of murder and other violent crimes in the country in 2024, according to a USA Today analysis of FBI crime data. Memphis police reported a 25-year low in crimes like larceny, robbery and burglary, as well as a six-year low in murders.
Local police 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.
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Despite those reported reductions, Trump reiterated his concerns regarding crime rates in the city and said he would also send in militarized troops if necessary.
“We’re going to fix that, just like we did Washington,” Trump told Fox News.
Trump said in the interview that both Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee and Democratic Memphis Mayor Paul Young were “happy” with the decision. NewsNation has reached out to both officials for comment.
Young issued a statement to local media earlier this week, saying the Memphis city council had been briefed about the possible deployment of troops.
“I am committed to working to ensure any efforts strengthen our community and build on our progress,” Young’s statement said. “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.”
Trump indicated in the interview that with the support of both elected officials in place, troops would arrive to tackle Memphis’ crime.
“I’m just announcing that now, and we’ll straighten that out, National Guard and anybody else we need,” Trump said in the interview. “And by the way, we’ll bring in the military too if we need it, but National Guard, but Memphis is, look, it’s a great, music city.”
Prior to Friday’s announcement, Trump said Chicago and New Orleans were possible destinations after the president deployed the National Guard in a similar effort in Washington, D.C. He has said crime has dropped significantly in the district since troops have been on the streets.
Trump had previously zeroed in on Chicago as the National Guard’s next destination.
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On Friday, Trump said he would “prefer” to go to Chicago, where Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, both Democrats, have stated troops are not welcome.
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Both elected officials have said that rather than focusing on Democrat-led cities, Trump should send National Guard troops to cities with higher crime rates than Chicago. Trump said that if he were asked by officials, he would send troops to Chicago, where Operation Midway Blitz would take effect.
White House border czar Tom Homan has said the National Guard is still on the table for Chicago, but Trump said he doesn’t want to send guardsmen into a “hostile” area, the Associated Press reported.
Also on Friday, Trump announced St. Louis as a potential future target for his crackdown on crime and suggested that, in time, multiple cities could have National Guard troops in place.
