President Donald Trump announced plans to deploy the National Guard to Memphis, Tennessee, to combat crime, part of his administration’s expanding strategy of federal intervention in cities led by Democrats. The announcement came during a “Fox & Friends” interview on Friday.
Trump described Memphis as “deeply troubled,” saying, “We’re going to Memphis… we’re going to fix that just like we did Washington.” He claimed that both the city’s Democratic mayor, Paul Young, and Tennessee’s Republican governor, Bill Lee, are supportive.
Tennessee Governor Lee confirmed his willingness to coordinate with the federal government and sees the National Guard deployment as part of a broader law enforcement surge. Mayor Young has acknowledged earlier talks but expressed caution. He emphasized the need for clarity around what deployment will entail — how many troops, how long, under what legal authority.
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Memphis has one of the highest violent crime rates in the country. While crime in Memphis has reportedly dropped in some categories in 2025 compared with previous years, Trump says the federal support is needed to accelerate progress.
Critics have raised concerns about legality, civil rights, and the militarization of domestic law enforcement. Legal experts are watching whether the deployment will follow state or federal authority, and how it will align with constitutional limits.
Trump has similarly threatened or initiated comparable deployments in other Democrat-led cities including Chicago and New Orleans, though Memphis appears to be the next confirmed location for Guard deployment.