President’s Plans for Memphis
On Friday, President Donald Trump announced that he will be sending the National Guard to Memphis as part of his ongoing effort to tackle crime. This decision follows a recent reduction of similar measures in Washington, D.C.
What You Need to Know
- During an appearance on Fox & Friends, Trump stated that he is committed to sending the “National Guard and anyone else we need” to Memphis, labeling the situation there as “deeply troubled.”
- The president mentioned his consideration of deploying troops either to Memphis or St. Louis, claiming these areas face higher crime rates than Chicago.
- Interestingly, Memphis has reported a significant reduction in crime earlier this month, hitting a six-year low in homicides and a 25-year low in total crime, according to WREG Memphis.
- Trump expressed that he would have preferred to focus the National Guard efforts on Chicago, but the city’s Democratic leadership has dismissed his proposal.
- It is worth noting that the president cannot unilaterally activate the National Guard outside of Washington, D.C. without the governor’s approval, except in extraordinary cases like unrest or disaster.
- Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, a Republican, mentioned that he would likely agree to cooperate with the federal assistance and acknowledged ongoing discussions with Trump’s administration regarding strategies to fight crime in Memphis.
Stay tuned for updates as this story develops.
