Trump says National Guard will be deployed to Memphis; lawmakers react
SEE ALSO: Governor Lee speaks out on National Guard deployment to Memphis
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday he’ll send the National Guard to Memphis to address crime concerns there with the support of the mayor and the governor. Trump, a Republican, said on Fox News Channel “the mayor is happy” and “the governor is happy” about the pending deployment. The mayor is a Democrat, and the governor is a Republican. He said the city is “deeply troubled” and “we’re going to fix that just like we did Washington,” where he’s sent National Guard and surged federal law enforcement.
President Donald Trump listens during a meeting with Polish President Karol Nawrocki in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Since sending the National Guard to Los Angeles and Washington, Trump has openly mused about sending troops to some of the nation’s most Democratic cities — including Chicago and Baltimore — claiming they are needed to crack down on crime.
Trump said he “would have preferred going to Chicago,” where local politicians have fiercely resisted his plans, but he suggested it was a “hostile” place with “professional agitators.”
FROM U.S. SENATOR MARSHA BLACKBURN:
Blackburn Applauds President Trump’s Decision to Send National Guard to Memphis
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after President Trump announced that he plans to send the National Guard to Memphis to address rampant crime. Last month, Senator Blackburn voiced her support for sending the National Guard to Memphis to combat violent crime and restore law and order, and she has worked closely with the Trump administration to surge additional resources to Memphis to protect law-abiding citizens.
“We are grateful for everything President Trump has already done to Make Memphis Safe Again with the help of FBI Director Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi,” said Senator Blackburn. “Today, President Trump answered my call to do whatever it takes to Make Memphis Safe Again, and I applaud his decision to send the National Guard to Memphis following his tremendous success in reducing violent crime in Washington, D.C. Time and time again, President Trump has stepped in to restore law and order in blue cities that refuse to protect their own citizens, and I will continue working alongside the Trump administration to hold left-wing officials accountable for the consequences of soft-on-crime agendas.”
FROM CONGRESSMAN DAVID KUSTOFF:
Rep. David Kustoff Delivers Statement on President Trump’s Deployment of the National Guard to Memphis
WASHINGTON – Following President Donald Trump’s announcement of federal National Guard support for Memphis, Congressman David Kustoff released the following statement:
“I support President Trump’s decision to send the National Guard to Memphis. I thank the President for his commitment to curb violent crime. It is important for the long term success in Memphis to have additional and permanent federal law enforcement officers and agents who can work in conjunction with state and local officials. I will continue to work with the White House to secure these important resources.”
Chairwoman London Lamar Statement on the National Guard Deployment to Memphis
MEMPHIS—Senate Democratic Caucus Chairwoman Sen. London Lamar, D-Memphis, issued a statement in response to President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops to the city of Memphis.
Sen. London Lamar:
For those who asked for the National Guard, you got your wish. But be honest: this is not a long-term solution for public safety. It’s a band-aid.
When the troops leave, crime issues will come right back because Trump is choosing cheap political theater over the hard work of strengthening a community.
Memphis is not a war zone — it’s a city making progress. Overall crime is at a 25-year low, murders are at a six-year low, and robberies and burglaries are at a 25-year low. We have more work to do, but our community is safer today because local leaders are working hard, not because of political stunts.
If President Trump truly wanted to help, he’d restore the hundreds of millions in police and crime prevention funding his administration cut in April. And if Tennessee Republicans were serious about safety, they’d fix our broken gun laws and invest in good jobs, safe housing and health care — the real solutions that keep families safe.
Instead, Trump and Republicans are using the National Guard as a political pawn. That’s just wrong and Memphis deserves better.
Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari Statement on the National Guard Deployment to Memphis
MEMPHIS—Tennessee Senate Minority Leader Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, issued a statement in response to President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops to the city of Memphis.
Sen. Raumesh Akbari:
As a lifelong Memphian, I want to be clear: We do not need the National Guard occupying our city. The last time a U.S. president sent the Guard to Memphis was in 1968, after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel and our community was in deep grief and unrest. Other times the Guard was deployed to Southern cities, it was to enforce civil rights laws when segregationists refused to comply. That history matters — because what we are seeing now is not about justice, it’s about politics.
This is an abuse of power, using troops to score political points off of crime statistics, even though overall crime in Memphis is down to a 25-year low. That’s not leadership — that’s overreach.
We cannot stop the National Guard from coming into Memphis. So if they’re here, I urge them to work directly with our mayor and our police leadership to determine the best use of their time. Just like during the pandemic when they helped give out vaccines and provided support for our area hospitals, I pray something good will come from this.
But the bottom line is this: Memphis deserves real solutions, not more political stunts.
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