President Donald Trump on Friday announced that Memphis will be the next city to receive a federal policing surge, saying he would send the National Guard and could bring in the military if necessary.
Trump made the announcement during an appearance on Fox & Friends, calling Memphis "deeply troubled" and saying the city’s Democratic mayor and the Tennessee governor support the move. He said the deployment would follow the earlier federal operation in Washington, D.C.
Trump said the deployment was pitched to him by a railroad executive who serves on the board of FedEx. Quoting the executive, Trump said the official was once escorted one block to his hotel in an armored vehicle because of security concerns and described the situation as "so terrible." Trump said, "We’re going to Memphis. I’m just announcing that now, and we’ll straighten that out, National Guard and anybody else we need. And by the way, we’ll bring in the military too if we need it."
He added that he would have preferred to send agents to Chicago but said Memphis would be the immediate focus. "Memphis is — that’s the next — deeply troubled and the mayor is happy. The Democrat mayor, the mayor is happy. And the governor, Tennessee, the governor is happy," he said. He also noted the city’s cultural heritage, calling it a "great music city" and the "home of Elvis."
Trump did not specify which federal law enforcement agencies would constitute the surge or provide a timeline for deployment. His comments echo prior instances in which his administration used federal personnel in U.S. cities to address violent crime and protect federal property, actions that have prompted debate over federal authority and local control.
Local and state officials in Tennessee had not issued immediate, detailed statements responding to Friday’s announcement. The president’s remarks placed emphasis on restoring order and cited private-sector concerns about safety in the city.
The announcement adds Memphis to a list of municipalities that have recently been the focus of federal law enforcement attention. The administration has framed such interventions as necessary to combat violent crime and protect citizens, while critics have raised questions about the legality and efficacy of deploying federal forces to assist or supplant local policing.
Trump’s comments on Fox & Friends came toward the end of a week during which federal crime-fighting initiatives and the role of the federal government in local public safety remained prominent topics in national political discourse. Further details on the scope, composition and timing of the Memphis operation were not available Friday.