Trump sends National Guard to Memphis amidst rising crime

President Donald Trump announced Friday that National Guard troops will be deployed to Memphis, Tennessee, as part of his ongoing effort to curb crime in Democrat-led cities, saying the city’s mayor and the state governor support the move.

The announcement was made during an interview on Fox News Channel’s Fox and Friends. Trump said Memphis is “deeply troubled” and described the city’s violent crime rate as one of the highest in the U.S., with 2,501 incidents per 100,000 people according to FBI data.

Trump indicated he also wants to reduce crime in New Orleans and Chicago but appeared to prioritize Memphis over Chicago for this deployment. The president previously sent National Guard troops to Washington D.C. in August under “Operation Midway Blitz,” temporarily taking command of the Metropolitan Police Department. Hundreds of arrests were made in the capital, and Trump has claimed the city is now “virtually crime free.”

Memphis Mayor Paul Young has said he has been in talks with the federal government to secure additional support for local police, emphasizing the need for resources for intervention, prevention, and strengthening investigations. “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 said in a statement.

Trump’s use of the National Guard in domestic law enforcement has drawn legal scrutiny. Courts previously ruled his deployment to Los Angeles earlier this year unlawful, though that ruling does not apply to other cities. Trump has also threatened future deployments to Baltimore, Chicago, and New Orleans.

The move marks an escalation in his approach to using federal troops in U.S. cities facing high crime rates, raising questions about the use of military forces in civilian law enforcement operations.

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