President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on Monday directing that the National Guard be sent to Memphis, while suggesting Chicago will be up next in his federal crackdown on crime.
Trump announced the creation of a task force for the deployment of federal troops and agents in Memphis including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and other federal agencies as well as the National Guard, saying it was put together at the request of Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee. The President said the operation will be a “replica” of the approach he took in Washington, D.C.
Trump also pointed to other cities where he might soon direct similar efforts. “We’re going to be doing Chicago, probably next,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Monday, adding “we’re going to go big.” He later stated that “we’ll get to St. Louis.”
The announcement came as key members of Trump’s cabinet flanked his desk, including Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
“This team will deploy the full power of federal law enforcement,” Trump said.
Lee, who was also present during Trump’s announcement, said he is “tired of crime holding the great city of Memphis back.” Tennessee Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty were also present.
The support of the state’s Republican governor and senators marks a notable difference from Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles this summer against the wishes of Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom and local officials. Memphis Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, said after Trump indicated his plans to send the National Guard to the city last week that he was “certainly not happy” about the deployment and that his administration would “do all that we can to make sure that it has limited impact on our community.”
”We’re not going to let this savagery destroy our county any more,” Trump said, after reciting statistics about crime in Memphis.
A recent USA TODAY analysis found that among major U.S. cities, Memphis had the highest murder and violent crime rates in the country last year. The Memphis Police Department said last week, however, that crime in the city is overall at a historic 25-year low in 2025. Prior to Trump’s D.C. takeover, the Justice Department said crime in the city was also at a decades-low level.
Trump has previously spoken about launching a federal crackdown in other cities as well, including Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Oakland, and New Orleans. He indicated that Chicago was “next” in late August, prompting city officials and residents to begin preparing for a National Guard deployment, but has not indicated when he would send troops to the city.
“We’ve got to go and save our great cities,” Trump said on Monday.
The post Trump Deploys the National Guard to Memphis, Saying Chicago Is ‘Probably’ Next in Crime Crackdown appeared first on TIME.
