Trump sends National Guard to Memphis

President Donald Trump signed a memorandum Sept. 15 ordering the deployment of the National Guard and several other federal law enforcement agencies to Memphis, Tennessee, citing the city’s crime rate. 

Speaking from the Oval Office alongside Republican Gov. Bill Lee of Tennessee, Trump announced the creation of a “Memphis Safe Task Force,” modeled after his recent federal crackdown in Washington, D.C.

“This team will deploy the full powers of federal law enforcement agencies and enforcement generally to restore public safety and get dangerous career criminals off our streets,” Trump said. “We’re going to get them off.”

President Donald Trump said Monday he’d consider naming far-left anti-fascism group Antifa as domestic terrorists, previewing a plan to crack down on what he’s cast as a widespread network of left-wing radicals inciting violence.

“It’s something I would do, yeah,” he said when asked whether he would assign a domestic terrorism label to Antifa, saying he would proceed if he found support from Cabinet officials and the Justice Department.

The President cited FBI data showing that Memphis recorded the nation’s highest violent and property crime rates in 2024, along with the third-highest murder rate. A White House fact sheet said the city has logged 150 murders in 2025, with a murder rate about four times higher than Mexico City, Mexico, and 27 times higher than Havana, Cuba. 

According to the memo, Attorney General Pam Bondi will lead the task, which includes the National Guard; FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Homeland Security Investigations; and U.S. Marshals. 

In the fact sheet, the White House said the task force will coordinate with state and local officials “to make Memphis safe and restore public order.” 

Lee endorsed the plan during the Oval Office signing ceremony, saying, “I’m tired of crime holding the great city of Memphis back.”

“When we come together,” he added, “we can make significant change in our city and the city of Memphis and that is a powerfully important thing for the state of Tennessee.” 

However, Memphis Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, said in a Sept. 12 press conference that he “did not ask for the National Guard,” CatholicVote reported. Young called for more funding and long-term partnerships with state and federal leaders to address what he called the “root causes” of violent crime, pointing to expanded mental health services and other community programs.