President Trump introduced Friday that Memphis can be the subsequent metropolis to get a federal policing surge — and the second following Washington, DC — after a profitable FBI activity drive collared greater than 500 violent criminals earlier this yr.
Tennessee’s second-largest metropolis, with a inhabitants of round 611,000 folks, recorded 297 murders final yr and has the nation’s highest violent crime price amongst cities with no less than 250,000 inhabitants.
Based on FBI information, Memphis authorities tracked 2,501 violent crimes for each 100,000 residents in 2024.
“We’re going to Memphis. [It is] deeply troubled and the mayor is pleased. The Democrat mayor [Paul Young] is pleased. And the [Republican] Governor [Bill Lee] is pleased,” Trump mentioned on “Fox & Mates.”
“Deeply troubled — we’re going to repair that, identical to we did Washington. I might have most well-liked going to Chicago.”
At a information convention later Friday, Younger insisted that whereas his metropolis was excessive on too many “dangerous lists,” “I didn’t ask for the Nationwide Guard and I don’t suppose it’s the best way to drive down crime.”
The mayor added that any federal presence ought to study the “root supply of violent crime,” claiming a necessity for psychological well being companies, jobs and housing assist.
“I’m grateful for the President’s unwavering help and dedication to offering each useful resource essential to serve Memphians,” Lee mentioned in an announcement. “Memphis stays on a path to greatness, and we’re not going to let something maintain them again.”
Trump mentioned the transfer was pitched to him by a pal who’s a railroad govt and on the board of Memphis-based delivery big FedEx.
“He mentioned, ‘After I stroll one block to my resort, they gained’t enable me to do it. They put me in an armored automobile with bulletproof glass to take me one block.’ He mentioned, ‘It’s so horrible.’”
Sen. Invoice Hagerty (R-Tenn.) instructed The Put up Friday that the federal surge was the end result of talks with Memphis enterprise leaders — but additionally with Younger, Lee, FBI Director Kash Patel and Lawyer Common Pam Bondi courting again to November 2024.
On July 21, the FBI launched Operation Viper to curb violent crime in Memphis with the assistance of brokers from the Drug Enforcement Administration. Lee additionally deployed 150 state troopers to town and made $200 million in funding accessible.
Highlights from President Trump’s Fox & Mates interview
The outcome was greater than 500 arrests of violent suspects and greater than 100 subsequent federal indictments because the operation wound to a detailed Friday, Hagerty famous.
“The town of Memphis had already been targeted on this, but under-resourced. By including federal assets, together with federal marshals that preceded Operation Viper, we’ve seen a downward pattern, so we’re simply persevering with to push this,” the senator mentioned in an interview Friday.
“Within the subsequent part, as we add much more federal assets,” he added, “our aim is to have or not it’s the most secure metropolis in America.”
Trump final month surged federal legislation enforcement and Nationwide Guard troops into Washington after high-profile situations of violent crime.
He has threatened for weeks to order the same operation in Chicago, however has confronted opposition from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson, each Democrats.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) brokers kicked off “Operation Halfway Blitz” Monday focusing on unlawful immigrants with rap sheets in Chicago, however to this point the federal surge is contained to frame enforcement.
“So we’re going to Memphis. I’m simply saying that now, and we’ll straighten that out,” Trump mentioned Friday.
“We’ll deliver within the army, too, if we want it. However Nationwide Guard,” he went on. “Memphis is, look, it’s an ideal music metropolis, it’s, you already know, dwelling of Elvis and every little thing else.”
Hagerty mentioned “the president loves our state and he loves Memphis” however the choice to ship FBI, DEA and different federal brokers there was made after Trump grew to become satisfied that the crime drawback was one which could possibly be fastened.
“That is an alternative for us to all come collectively once more,” the senator mentioned. “Placing politics apart, that is essentially the most elementary stage of governmental accountability to its residents: public security.”
