Trump Says He’ll Send National Guard to Memphis, Escalating His Use of Troops in US Cities

WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 14: Members of the National Guard stand by at Union Station on August 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump announced plans to deploy federal officers and the National Guard to the District in order to place the DC Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and assist in crime prevention in the nation’s capital. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’ll send the National Guard to Memphis, Tennessee, to address crime concerns there. The president told Fox News on Friday that “the mayor is happy” and “the governor is happy” about the pending deployment. Democratic Mayor Paul Young pushed back on Trump’s assertion, saying “I did not ask for the National Guard and I don’t think it’s the way to drive down crime.” Tennessee’s Republican Gov. Bill Lee confirmed the deployment was coming and said he planned to speak with the president Friday to work out details of the mission. Trump has also mused about sending troops to New Orleans, another majority-Black city in a Republican-leaning state.