President Donald Trump said on Friday that Memphis, Tennessee, will be the next city targeted in his administration's crime crackdown and that National Guard troops will be sent there.
In a rare in-studio interview on Fox & Friends, Trump called Memphis "deeply troubled" and vowed, "We're going to Memphis – Memphis is deeply troubled. We're going to fix that just like we did Washington."
The announcement follows a federal intervention in Washington, D.C., that began in August. The administration placed the capital under federal control for 30 days under the Home Rule Act to address violent crime; that period ended on Wednesday, though the National Guard has remained in the city and officials have signaled a continued presence through at least the end of November.
Trump did not immediately provide detailed plans on the scope of federal action in Memphis or how the deployment would be coordinated with Tennessee state authorities or local officials in Memphis. It was also not immediately clear what legal authorities the administration intends to rely on for operations outside the nation's capital.
The president's statement came amid speculation that his next focus might fall on a major city in a Democratic state, such as Chicago or Baltimore, both of which have been discussed by commentators as potential targets for federal crime initiatives. Trump instead singled out Memphis, a major southern city with longstanding public safety and economic challenges.
Details about the size of any National Guard contingent, the timeline for deployment, rules of engagement, and intended metrics for success were not provided during the interview. The administration has previously characterized its interventions as temporary measures aimed at reducing violent crime through increased federal resources and coordination, but officials have offered limited specifics in public briefings.
Legal scholars and local leaders have questioned the use of federal authority in local law enforcement matters when such interventions are announced, citing concerns about federalism and the Home Rule Act's provisions. The administration's earlier action in Washington prompted debate about the statutory basis for federal control and the length of time troops might remain in a city following an initial intervention.
Memphis officials and Tennessee state authorities had not issued public responses to the president's announcement as of Friday evening. Local and state cooperation typically plays a key role in federal assistance to crime-fighting efforts, including intelligence sharing, operational coordination, and delineation of responsibilities between military and civilian law enforcement personnel.
Trump's comments mark the latest in a series of high-profile pronouncements on public safety that have become a central theme of his administration's domestic policy agenda. The White House has emphasized tougher enforcement and the enhanced use of federal resources to confront violent crime, while critics have raised concerns about civil liberties, oversight and the effectiveness of short-term deployments in addressing root causes of crime.
The administration did not release an immediate written statement outlining the Memphis plan, and the president's remarks were delivered on national cable television. The situation is developing, and further details on the timing, legal framework and operational coordination of any deployment to Memphis may emerge in coming days.