President Donald Trump announced Friday that he will send National Guard troops to Memphis, Tennessee, as part of his nationwide crime crackdown—even though city data shows crime has dropped 44% this year.
Speaking on Fox & Friends, Trump called Memphis “deeply troubled” and said he planned to replicate what he described as the success of National Guard deployments in Washington, D.C. He suggested that federal forces, the Guard, and potentially the military could be used if necessary.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee welcomed the move, posting on X that he would work with Trump to “provide every resource necessary to serve Memphians.” Memphis Mayor Paul Young, however, said he had not requested federal troops and raised questions about the deployment’s timing, scope, and duration.
City data shows that reported crimes in Memphis fell from 53,805 during the same period in 2024 to 29,978 so far in 2025. Homicides also dropped nearly 30%, as per the data from the city.
Critics noted that Trump has focused his federal intervention threats on Democratic-led cities, including Chicago, where Illinois officials have strongly pushed back. Meanwhile, Washington, D.C. leaders continue to challenge the legality of the earlier National Guard deployment, with the city’s attorney general calling it a “military occupation.”
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