Journalism of Courage
US President Donald Trump said on Friday he will send National Guard troops to Memphis, Tennessee, to deal with crime, following his decision last month to place Washington’s police under federal control.
Trump has made crime a central issue as he looks to expand federal involvement in local law enforcement. “We’re going to Memphis. Memphis is deeply troubled. We’re going to fix that, just like we did Washington,” he told Fox News’ Fox and Friends programme, according to Reuters.
The president added that Memphis’ Democratic mayor was “happy” about the plan. The office of Mayor Paul Young did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Memphis, a city of about 611,000 people on the Mississippi River, has one of the highest violent crime rates in the country, according to FBI data. About 24% of its residents live in poverty, more than twice the national average, US Census Bureau figures show.
Trump said he may also send federal forces to New Orleans, another Democratic-led city in a Republican-controlled state. He has previously threatened to deploy troops to Chicago but has not acted on that.
The Justice Department sent federal agents to Memphis in 2020 during Trump’s first term to support local authorities. He has argued that crime is harming US cities and has defended sending federal law enforcement into Washington.
Justice Department figures show violent crime in the US capital reached a 30-year low in 2024.
