President Donald Trump has announced a new “Memphis Safe Task Force,” a federal crackdown on crime that includes the deployment of the National Guard. The move mirrors what his administration did in the nation’s capital, and Trump says Memphis is just the start.
“This task force will be a replica of our extraordinarily successful efforts here,” Trump said of Washington. “And, you’ll see it’s a lot of the same thing.”
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While signing the order in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump told reporters that Chicago would be next, but did not say when troops would arrive in Memphis.
Response to the order
Tennessee’s Republican governor, Bill Lee, is backing the plan and praised the president for the partnership.
“When we come together, we can make significant change in our city,” Lee said. “And I wanna say thank you.”
Trump said, “This will be your proudest moment. When we see you in four or five weeks, maybe sooner, you’re gonna see numbers that will drop and plummet just like we did in D.C. They plummeted; no one could even believe it.”
A spokesperson for Gov. Lee said planning is underway and the governor’s office will “continue to work closely with federal and local partners to determine the most effective path forward.”
Memphis Mayor Paul Young said he was blindsided by the announcement and said he doesn’t want troops on the ground.
“I do not support the National Guard [being deployed to Memphis]. However, they are coming. It’s not the mayor’s call. The mayor doesn’t have a say or the authority to stop them from coming, 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.
Shelby County’s Democratic leaders call the move a “militarized occupation,” not a solution.
Memphis crime at a 25-year low
The move to send troops into Memphis comes after police reported that overall crime has dropped this year to a 25-year low.
Trump took to Truth Social last week to address the low crime numbers, saying the city still needs help.
In his post, Trump said, “The only reason crime is somewhat down in Memphis is because the FBI, and others in the Federal Government, at my direction, have been working there for 5 months – on the absolutely terrible Crime numbers.”
Shortly before Monday’s announcement, the White House posted on social media, saying that Memphis had the highest violent and property crime rates in the U.S. and the third-highest murder rate in 2024.
Other National Guard deployments
Memphis isn’t the first city in Trump’s sights, and it may not be the last.
Federal troops have already been deployed in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. Now Memphis and Chicago are allegedly next in line.
