President Donald Trump announced on Friday his plans to deploy the National Guard to Memphis as part of his ongoing initiative to address crime in U.S. cities. Speaking on Fox News, Trump described Memphis as “deeply troubled” and stated that both the city’s Democratic mayor and Tennessee’s Republican governor were supportive of the decision. He indicated that his administration would also send additional personnel, including military support if necessary.
Despite Trump’s assertions regarding crime, data from the Memphis Police Department shows that overall crime in the city is currently at a historic 25-year low, with significant declines in robbery, burglary, and larceny. The murder rate has also decreased to a six-year low. This contrasts with a recent USA TODAY analysis indicating that Memphis had the highest rates of murder and violent crime among major U.S. cities in 2024.
Trump's recent actions follow a similar deployment in Washington, D.C., where he took control of the local police department and sent National Guard troops to the streets. This intervention was motivated by claims of rising violent crime, although statistics indicated a decline in such incidents during that period. The temporary takeover of D.C.'s police force has since expired, but troops are expected to remain in the city until at least the end of November.
In addition to Memphis, Trump has expressed intentions to send National Guard troops to other cities perceived to have crime issues, including Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. While most of the targeted cities are in Democratic-led states, both Memphis and New Orleans have Republican governors. However, local officials in various cities, particularly Chicago, have voiced opposition to such deployments, complicating Trump's plans. The legal basis for deploying troops to Memphis remains unspecified, following a recent federal ruling against similar actions in Los Angeles.