Memphis mayor 'not happy' about Trump's plan to send National Guard

September 13, 2025

President Donald Trump announced on Fox News that the National Guard would be deployed to Memphis, Tennessee, as part of his crackdown on crime in Democrat-led cities, surprising Mayor Paul Young who learned about it during the broadcast. Young expressed opposition to the deployment, stating he didn't request National Guard assistance and doesn't believe it's an effective crime-reduction strategy. This deployment represents an escalation of Trump's use of federal troops following his takeover of Washington DC's police department in August.

Who is affected

Memphis residents and community
Memphis Police Department
Mayor Paul Young and his administration
Individuals potentially targeted in crime enforcement operations
Memphis communities with memories of the 1968 National Guard deployment after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination

What action is being taken

President Trump is deploying the National Guard to Memphis
Memphis Mayor Young is working to ensure the deployment happens in a "strategic way that truly benefits and strengthens our community"
The Memphis police department is continuing its existing crime reduction efforts
Trump is expanding his use of National Guard troops for crime control in major cities
Legal experts are scrutinizing the use of National Guard troops for law enforcement

Why it matters

The deployment represents an escalation in Trump's use of military forces in civilian law enforcement
Memphis has one of the highest violent crime rates in the US
The mayor was not consulted about the decision, creating tension between federal and local authorities
The last major National Guard deployment in Memphis was after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in 1968, raising concerns about invoking similar imagery
Legal questions surround the use of military forces against civilians, with a court recently finding Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles unlawful

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC