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President Donald Trump has initiated a deployment of National Guard forces in Memphis as part of his broader effort to combat rising crime rates. The announcement was made Monday at the White House, citing increasing violence in the city as the primary reason. Critics have quickly condemned the move, labeling it as excessively aggressive and authoritarian.
Trump described the operation as being modeled after the successful effort he launched in Washington, D.C., in August. “This will include the National Guard, FBI, and other federal agencies,” he told reporters during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office. He emphasized the urgency of addressing ongoing crime waves, stating, “It’s very important because of what’s going on.”
The president also indicated plans to expand similar initiatives to other cities, mentioning, “We might be doing Chicago next.” Historically, Trump has credited troop deployments and deportation operations in cities like Washington and Los Angeles with reducing immigrant-related crime, fulfilling key promises from his campaign.
Attorney General Pam Bondi expressed confidence that federal agencies would replicate the success of the Washington model in Memphis to restore safety. Notably, Trump’s initiatives have primarily targeted Democratic-led cities, despite Memphis being a majority Black city with a Democratic mayor, and Tennessee’s governor being a Republican.
Last week, the Trump administration launched a new immigration enforcement operation in Chicago aimed at removing what they call the “worst of the worst” offenders. Trump has frequently threatened to send National Guard units into Chicago, engaging in social media debates with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, over the issue.
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