President Donald Trump said Friday he’ll send the National Guard to address crime concerns in Memphis, Tennessee, his latest test of the limits of presidential power by using military force in American cities.
Speaking on Fox News, Trump said “the mayor is happy” and “the governor is happy” about the pending deployment. Calling the city “deeply troubled,” he said “we’re going to fix that just like we did Washington,” where he’s sent the National Guard and surged federal law enforcement.
Tennessee’s Republican governor embraced the troop deployment as part of a broader law enforcement surge in Memphis, however Trump’s assertion drew pushback from the Democratic leader of Memphis, which is majority Black.
“I did not ask for the National Guard and I don’t think it’s the way to drive down crime,” Mayor Paul Young told a news conference Friday, while acknowledging the city remained high on too many “bad lists.”
Several Memphis leaders said they welcome federal help but don’t think it needs to involve the military. Young committed to trying to help the deployment strengthen the community without distracting from ongoing law enforcement efforts. He said federal officials should aim at the “root source of violent crime” and mentioned rehabilitation and mental health services, jobs and housing needs.
{snip}
Despite the overall decrease, Memphis has dealt with stubborn gun violence problems for years. In 2023, the city set a record with more than 390 homicides.
{snip}
Trump said Friday he “would have preferred going to Chicago,” where local politicians have fiercely resisted his plans, but suggested the city was too “hostile” with “professional agitators.”
{snip}
The post Trump Says He’ll Send National Guard to Memphis appeared first on American Renaissance.
American Renaissance
