President Donald Trump is taking his anti-crime crusade to Memphis, Tennessee, with a bold National Guard deployment.
Announced on "Fox & Friends," Trump’s plan to send troops to Memphis follows his Washington, D.C., initiative, with potential Army involvement if needed, backed by Memphis Mayor Paul Young and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee.
The move comes on the heels of Trump’s summer push in D.C., where National Guard troops patrolled streets to curb violence.
Trump’s D.C. effort, tied to federalizing local police through the Home Rule Act, stirred controversy but yielded results.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, despite Democratic pushback, admitted crime dropped and even signed an order to boost federal cooperation. Republicans hailed the safer streets, while Democrats decried what they called a federal overreach.
Memphis, reeling from a Department of Justice report slamming its police for excessive force and racial bias, is Trump’s next target. “Memphis is deeply troubled,” Trump declared on "Fox & Friends," vowing to replicate D.C.’s success.
His confidence is bold, but Memphis’s complex issues—poverty, distrust in policing—won’t vanish with troops alone. Memphis Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, supports the deployment but stresses the need for funding to bolster prevention and investigations.
“What we need most are financial resources for intervention,” Young told a local Fox affiliate, hinting at deeper systemic fixes. His pragmatic stance contrasts with progressive dogma that often dismisses law-and-order solutions outright.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, a Republican, also endorsed the plan, noting ongoing state efforts with 50 highway patrol troopers already aiding Memphis police.
“Every Memphian deserves to live in a safe neighborhood,” Lee said, leaving “nothing off the table” for future strategies.
Rep. David Kustoff, representing Memphis, praised Trump’s commitment, pushing for permanent federal agents to work alongside local forces.
Trump admitted he’d rather have sent troops to Chicago but pointed to clashes with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
“I would have preferred going to Chicago,” Trump said, revealing political friction had derailed that plan. Memphis, with cooperative local leaders, became the logical next step for his anti-crime agenda. Tennessee’s recent deployment of state troopers to Memphis sets the stage for Trump’s federal escalation.
Kustoff told Fox News Digital he’ll work with the White House to secure long-term federal support for the city. His focus on permanence suggests a belief that quick fixes won’t cut it in Bluff City.
Young’s call for intervention funding highlights a truth: boots on the ground aren’t a cure-all. The DOJ’s scathing report on Memphis police underscores the need for reform alongside enforcement.
Trump’s plan, while muscular, risks missing the mark if it ignores these deeper issues. In D.C., Democrats grumbled about federal overreach, yet Bowser’s cooperation showed even critics can’t deny results.
Memphis may follow suit, but success hinges on whether troops can build trust, not just patrol streets. Trump’s gamble is that order precedes progress—a bet that could either stabilize Memphis or inflame tensions.
It remains unclear if Memphis will mirror D.C.’s crime drop or face pushback from residents wary of militarized policing. Lee’s openness to evolving strategies suggests flexibility, but the clock is ticking for tangible outcomes.
