President Donald Trump announced that the next city in his federal crime crackdown initiative is Memphis, Tennessee, signaling a bold expansion of his efforts following the controversial but successful 30-day National Guard deployment in Washington, D.C.
“We’re going to Memphis – Memphis is deeply troubled,” Trump said in an interview on Fox & Friends. “We’re going to fix that just like we did Washington.”
Trump’s takeover of D.C. police earlier this year drew both praise and criticism, but he insists the results speak for themselves. The city saw a marked reduction in violent crime, thanks to the presence of National Guard troops and federal law enforcement coordination.
A National Guard presence will remain in D.C. through November as Trump moves on to his next target.
Despite speculation that Chicago or Baltimore might be next, Trump revealed Memphis as his immediate focus due to the city’s staggering crime statistics.
“With a population of nearly 619,000, Memphis’ violent crime rate in 2024 was 2,501 per 100,000, massively higher than the national rate of 380 per 100,000 people,” the Daily Mail reported.
Trump credited cooperation from Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) for enabling federal support in the crime crackdown, as Trending Politics reported.