President Donald Trump announced Friday he will deploy National Guard troops to Memphis as part of his expanding federal anti-crime initiative.
Trump stated on Fox & Friends that he plans to assist Memphis next in combating violent crime.
“Memphis is deeply troubled … We’re going to fix that just like we did Washington,” Trump said.
Trump said Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Democratic Memphis Mayor Paul Young were supportive of the plan.
The White House, in a press release highlighting the Fox & Friends interview, stated Trump was announcing the deployment as part of his push to “combat crime in Democrat-run cities.”
Trump said the federal government would take significant action if needed, promising to handle Memphis the same way as Washington, D.C.
“We’ll straighten that out — National Guard and anybody else we need,” Trump said.
Young showed support for “focused initiatives that deliver results,” adding that they need additional financial support.
“Earlier this week, I was informed that the Governor and the President were considering deploying the National Guard and other resources to Memphis. I am committed to working to ensure any efforts strengthen our community and build on our progress,” Young said.
“We agree with Governor Lee that effective support for Memphis comes through focused initiatives that deliver results like we have seen with the FBI, state troopers, and other law enforcement partnerships. What we need most are financial resources for intervention and prevention, additional patrol officers, and case support to strengthen MPD’s investigations,” Young explained.
Trump’s announcement comes as crime is falling across Shelby County, which includes most of Memphis. Overall crime dropped 15.4% in 2025 compared to 2024, according to the Memphis Crime Commission.
Young recognized the decline in crime, but did not shy away from doing more:
“Memphis is already making measurable progress in bringing down crime, and we support initiatives that help accelerate the pace of the work our officers, community partners, and residents are doing every day,” Young stated.
Despite recent declines, Memphis remains one of the most dangerous cities in America.
Long-term data show violent crime levels in the city are near record highs, and Security.org ranks Memphis #1 among the 30 largest U.S. cities for total crime per capita — higher than Detroit, Baltimore, and Cleveland.
Memphis was chosen after weeks of discussion about deploying troops to Chicago. Trump had previously vowed to send forces there before shifting his focus to Tennessee, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.