Trump Targets Memphis in Nationwide Crime Crackdown, Citing ‘Success’ in D.C.
President Donald Trump announced that Memphis will be the next city targeted in his nationwide crime crackdown, following what he described as “tremendous success” in reducing violent crime in Washington, D.C.
In an appearance on Fox & Friends Friday morning, Trump stated, “I’ll be the first to say it right now, again, we’re going to Memphis.”
“Memphis is deeply troubled. The mayor is happy. He’s a Democrat. And the governor of Tennessee, the governor is happy. We’re gonna fix that just like we did Washington.”
Although Trump has not outlined the specifics of the plan, his comments suggest federal intervention similar to the actions taken in D.C., where a mix of federal law enforcement and National Guard troops were deployed last month. While violent crime has reportedly dropped, the move drew criticism for harming tourism and straining local businesses.
According to MSNBC, violence in D.C. has been falling since 2023. Homicides fell 32% in 2024 and 12% in 2025. Carjackings dropped 37% in 2025 despite Trump’s claims that they “tripled.” In January 2025, the DOJ reported that violent crime for 2024 in D.C. is down 35% from 2023, making it the lowest it has been in over 30 years.
Trump claimed both Memphis Mayor Paul Young and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee support the federal push, though neither has publicly confirmed that.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) praised the announcement in a statement.
“Today, President Trump answered my call to do whatever it takes to Make Memphis Safe Again, and I applaud his decision to send the National Guard to Memphis following his tremendous success in reducing violent crime in Washington, D.C.”
Memphis, a heavily Democratic city in a Republican-led state, has recently seen a spike in violent crime. According to FBI data analyzed by CNN, the city had the highest violent crime rate in the nation among urban areas with populations over 250,000 in the last year.
The political makeup may facilitate coordination between local and state officials, unlike cities such as Chicago, where Trump previously threatened to send troops despite resistance from local leaders. In that case, no military deployment materialized, though the Department of Homeland Security did launch an immigration-focused crackdown.
Trump credited Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena for the Memphis decision. According to Trump, Vena urged him to target not just Memphis, but also Chicago and St. Louis, citing public safety concerns during a meeting about Vena’s proposed acquisition of Norfolk Southern.
“He said, ‘Sir, please don’t lose Chicago. We are about to lose Chicago. It’s a great city. You can save Chicago.’”
Vena, who left the FedEx board in 2023, has not publicly confirmed the conversation. Trump did not comment on whether he supports the merger deal Vena is pursuing, which has sparked concerns among some rail customers over service and cost impacts.
Trump has repeatedly pointed to Washington, D.C., as a blueprint for federal intervention. Last month, the federal government took temporary control of the city’s police department and deployed additional agents. While the National Guard is expected to remain, Trump’s emergency order to federalize the police expired earlier this week.
Critics argue that much of the focus in D.C. has been on undocumented immigrants and the clearing of homeless encampments, a point local officials have pushed back on. Reports also suggest the crackdown has led to a downturn in tourism and restaurant traffic.
Still, Trump teased earlier in the week that another city would be next:
“We’ll be announcing another city that we’re going to very shortly — we’re working it out. The governor of a certain state would love us to be there, and the mayor of a certain city in that same state would love us to be there. We’ll announce it probably tomorrow, and it’s going to be something where we’ll do like we did here.”
Moumita Basuroychowdhury is a Contributing Reporter at The National Digest. After earning an economics degree at Cornell University, she moved to NYC to pursue her MFA in creative writing. She enjoys reporting on science, business and culture news. You can reach her at moumita.b@thenationaldigest.com.
