By Naman Trivedi
Copyright timesnownews
President Donald Trump is deploying the National Guard in Memphis, Tennessee, as part of his aggressive campaign to use military forces to combat urban crime. On September 15, Trump gathered Tennessee leaders and members of his administration in the Oval Office to sign a presidential memorandum establishing the “Memphis Safe Task Force.” The task force will include the National Guard, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, US Marshals, and other federal agencies. Trump described the initiative as a replica of his federal crackdown in Washington, D.C., where he placed local police under federal control and deployed National Guard troops. “We’re going to make Memphis safe again,” Trump said, highlighting the city’s high homicide rate, one of the highest among US cities with populations over 100,000 according to FBI data. The deployment marks a shift as Memphis is located in a Republican-controlled state where Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has welcomed the intervention, contrasting with opposition Trump has faced in Democratic-led cities like Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Governor Lee expressed strong support, saying, “We are very hopeful and excited about the prospect of moving that city forward. I’ve been in office seven years, and I’m tired of crime holding the great city of Memphis back.” Trump indicated that Chicago would be next to see a similar federal crackdown, with St. Louis and New Orleans also under consideration. Despite opposition from Chicago’s mayor and Illinois governor, Trump suggested the local police would support the federal effort regardless of state or city government cooperation. Asked how he could deploy troops without local approval, Trump said, “If they don’t [cooperate], it’s not going to matter to us,” claiming that police officers “respect us” more than local officials. This echoes his stance during the Washington, DC deployment where federal forces took control despite limited local government support. This move is part of Trump’s broader strategy to expand the use of military and federal resources to enforce law and order, including controversial immigration crackdowns. However, these actions have faced legal challenges, such as a recent court ruling that barred military troops from being used in California to enforce laws after Trump deployed National Guard and Marines there earlier this year without the state’s consent. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News and around the World.
