President Donald Trump announced on Fox & Friends that the National Guard will be deployed to Memphis, TN, as part of his anti-crime initiative.
The president made the announcement during his appearance, including that the deployment is not limited to the National Guard and can include the Army if necessary.
"Memphis is deeply troubled," Trump stated. "We're gonna fix that just like we did Washington."
Republican Gov. Bill Lee told Fox News Digital that the plan had been under discussion for months. "For months, I have been in constant communication with the Trump Administration to develop a multi-phased, strategic plan to combat crime in Memphis, leveraging the full extent of both federal and state resources."
"The next phase will include a comprehensive mission with the Tennessee National Guard, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Memphis Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies, and we are working closely with the Trump Administration to determine the most effective role for each of these agencies to best serve Memphians," Lee concluded.
Trump admitted that Memphis was not his first choice, saying he would have preferred to continue his initiative in Chicago. Recently, the Trump administration clashed with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
The president expounded on the decision on “Fox & Friends,” stating that both Memphis Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, agreed to have the National Guard deployed in what is known as the Bluff City.
In an interview with Fox 13 Memphis, Mayor Young said, "We agree with Governor Lee that effective support for Memphis comes through focused initiatives that deliver results like we have seen with the FBI, state troopers, and other law enforcement partnerships. What we need most are financial resources for intervention and prevention, additional patrol officers, and case support to strengthen MPD’s investigations."
The mayor cited that the city had experienced a drop in crime in the past year.
According to city data, there had been 29,978 reported crime incidents in Memphis as of Sept. 11th, 2025. This is approximately a 44% reduction from the same period last year’s 53,805 incidents.
Despite the decrease, Memphis still ranks as the most crime-ridden city in the country. Data showed that in 2024 that the city had a crime rate of 9,400 per 100,000 residents, 343.6% above the national average.
Lee acknowledged the lower crime statistics in Memphis but noted that "nothing is off the table" as leaders look to bring those numbers even lower.
