President Trump signed an order Monday deploying the National Guard to Memphis, marking his latest use of federal military power in a U.S. city. Joined by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) at the Oval Office, Trump said the plan would mirror his earlier crackdown in Washington, D.C., which he has claimed reduced crime.
The initiative will also bring in personnel from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Marshals Service. “We’re sending in the big force now,” Trump said.
The White House argued that Memphis’ crime rate exceeds the national average and suggested it has recently risen. However, Memphis police data shows decreases across major crime categories this year, including a 25-year low in overall crime and a six-year low in murders.
Gov. Lee welcomed the deployment, saying he was “tired of crime holding the great city of Memphis back.” But Memphis Mayor Paul Young (D) objected, stressing he had not requested federal troops and arguing the city can manage crime locally.
Trump added that Chicago could be targeted for a future deployment, while also mentioning St. Louis and Baltimore as possible candidates.
Sources
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