Memphis Rep. Steve Cohen, D‑Tenn., sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s plan to send National Guard resources to his district, calling the move “Trump Show 2.0” and saying he has seen no evidence that a previous Guard deployment made Washington, D.C., safer.
Cohen, who represents Memphis and Shelby County, said Friday that he had hoped the National Guard would not be deployed to his district and argued the city’s crime problems are better addressed through “proven programs” and public‑investment strategies rather than a federal show of force. "That’s what I think this is about, and that would harm our local economy, particularly the tourist and construction industries. This is all about Trump showing the world that he’s a tough guy," he said.
Cohen, a self‑described part‑time Washingtonian for 19 years, said his personal experience living in the capital after work gives him perspective on whether the earlier deployment altered public safety there. "I do not perceive any change in the level of safety since Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in D.C.," he said, adding that many of the arrests made during the earlier operation were of low‑level offenders.
President Trump has in recent weeks advocated for use of the National Guard and other federal resources to address rising crime in several cities, and he has touted a past deployment to the District as tamping down disorder. Cohen pushed back on that narrative, saying a recent Trump appearance at a Washington restaurant — during which the president said the city was now "the safest town in the world" — did not match the lawmaker’s observations.
Cohen acknowledged that Memphis faces a serious crime problem but said it should not be reduced to a political spectacle. He noted the city’s history of racial discrimination and Jim Crow-era conflict, saying the roots of some problems extend back centuries and include the legacy of slavery that disrupted families and unequal access to education and opportunity.
He framed the National Guard announcement as more performative than substantive and stressed that the local economy could suffer if the deployment deters tourists and slows construction activity. Cohen recommended boosting funding for community‑based interventions and evidence‑based anti‑crime programs instead of relying primarily on military or quasi‑military responses.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Cohen’s remarks come as Republican and Democratic leaders continue to spar over the best mix of local, state and federal tools to address violent crime, public safety and the economic consequences for cities targeted by high‑profile federal interventions.
The Tennessee lawmaker’s comments were reported to a national audience amid continued debate over how and when to deploy federal forces in U.S. cities and how to measure the effectiveness of those deployments in reducing violent crime and improving residents’ sense of safety.