President Trump on Friday said he plans to send federal troops to Tennessee to “fix” the city of Memphis, much like his recent crackdown on crime in the nation’s capitol.
He said he also remains intent on putting soldiers in the streets of Chicago, despite Democratic state and city leaders asking him to abort that idea.
The president announced his plans during an appearance on Fox News, where he said the deployment would include National Guard troops “and anybody else we need,” which could involve military personnel.
“Memphis is deeply troubled,” Trump said. “We’re gonna fix that just like we did Washington.”
Trump didn’t say when he planned to have troops occupy Memphis or if there were any legal hurdles to clear before that could happen.
According to the president, local officials in Tennessee support the deployments. However, Memphis Mayor Paul Young, while admitting his city has problems, said he doesn’t believe it’s a solution.
“I did not ask for the National Guard and I don’t think it’s the way to drive down crime,” Young pushed back during a press conference Friday.
Meanwhile, Tennessee’s Republican governor, Bill Lee, said he’s grateful for Trump’s support and was planning to speak with the president on the details of how federal troops would work together with the FBI and local law enforcement agencies.
“We are working closely with the Trump administration to determine the most effective role for each of these agencies to best serve Memphians,” Lee said of the multi-phased plan to combat crime.
Trump similarly flexed his muscle as commander-in-chief in Washington, D.C., where statistics showed crime in the district was in decline before National Guard soldiers were deployed on Aug. 11.
The Memphis Police Department also claims Trump’s purported crackdown is taking place during a period when crime is at a 25-year low.
Despite that recent trend, Memphis routinely ranks as one of the country’s least safe places. A U.S. News & World Report listing of the top places to live in 2025-26 called it the nation’s “Most Dangerous” big city.
Trump first deployed troops to Los Angeles in June, despite objections from Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom. A California federal court found the president overstepped his powers with that action.
Last week, before Trump’s unspecific plan to takeover Chicago was put on hold, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker accused the president of “threatening to go to war with an American city.”
Trump faced less resistance in D.C., which isn’t a state with its own governor.
With News Wire Services
