Trump Announces Crime Crackdown in Memphis with National Guard Deployment

Sat Oct 18 2025 10:24:01 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

President Trump, accompanied by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, reveals plans for a crime-fighting task force in Memphis, mirroring efforts made in Washington DC.

In a recent announcement, President Donald Trump has pledged to tackle rising crime rates in Memphis, Tennessee, establishing a task force comprising federal agencies including the National Guard and FBI. This follows similar efforts in Washington DC and comes amidst opposition from local officials who argue crime is already declining. The move aims to address serious concerns over violent crime rates in the city.

US President Donald Trump, joined by Tennessee's Republican Governor Bill Lee, on Monday established a task force to take on crime in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Democratic-led city is the second to face a Trump administration crackdown on crime, following Washington DC.

Trump has vowed to fix the city after shelving plans for a similar operation in Chicago, reportedly due to opposition from local and state officials.

Memphis' mayor, Paul Young, also has voiced opposition to the plan, arguing that crime already is falling without federal intervention.

The president stated that Memphis is overrun with carjackings, robberies, and shootings. We're not going to allow this kind of savagery to destroy our society anymore, he declared during a memorandum-signing in the Oval Office.

Trump emphasized that the Memphis task force would replicate the strategies used in Washington DC, planning to activate federal resources such as the National Guard, the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

Despite local opposition, Republican officials, including Governor Lee, support the initiative, citing a need for federal assistance to combat increasing crime rates.

FBI statistics for 2024 show that Memphis has 2,501 violent crimes per 100,000 people, one of the highest rates in the US. This initiative aims to reduce these alarming statistics, reflecting Trump's broader strategy to address crime in major cities across the country.