Washington, USA
U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a presidential memorandum ordering the deployment of the National Guard to Memphis, Tennessee, as part of a new “Memphis Safe Task Force” aimed at curbing crime in the city. The move has sparked a major controversy, as it was made despite the clear reservations of Memphis’ Democratic mayor, Paul Young.
The President announced the deployment with Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Lee present in the Oval Office, framing the effort as a “replica” of a similar initiative in Washington, D.C. He cited what he called Memphis’ “absolutely terrible crime numbers,” stating that the city had the highest violent crime rate in the nation in 2024 and was “overrun with carjackings, robbery, shootings and killings.” He vowed to end the “savagery” and “make Memphis safe again.”
Local Leaders’ Pushback
While Governor Lee has welcomed the federal intervention, stating he is “tired of crime holding the great city of Memphis back,” Mayor Young has voiced strong opposition. Young, who has disputed Trump’s claim that he was “happy” about the deployment, stated in a press conference that he did not request the National Guard and doesn’t believe it’s the right solution to bring down crime. He noted that he was first informed of the plan by Governor Lee’s office and only received “hard confirmation” when President Trump announced it on live television.
The mayor’s reservations highlight a key point of tension: the use of federal military force in a city without the explicit invitation of its local leadership. Young has conceded that since the decision has been made, his goal is to “work with them to strategize on how they engage in this community.”
Underlying Tensions and Crime Statistics
The move comes as Memphis police have reported drops in every major crime category in the first eight months of 2025, with overall crime at a 25-year low. This discrepancy between the President’s claims and the city’s own data has fueled accusations from some local officials that the deployment is a political theater.
Democratic State Senator London Lamar, for example, has called the deployment “disappointing, antidemocratic, and a violation of American norms,” arguing that when the troops leave, the crime issues will come right back. However, President Trump’s administration argues that Memphis’s violent crime rate remains far above the national average, making the deployment a necessary step to restore public order.
In addition to the National Guard, the new task force will include a surge of federal law enforcement agents from agencies such as the FBI, DEA, and the U.S. Marshals Service. President Trump has also indicated that after Memphis, he may be looking at deploying the National Guard to other cities, including Chicago, despite opposition from local and state officials.
