President Donald Trump said Friday he'll send the National Guard to address crime concerns in Memphis, Tennessee, his latest test of the limits of presidential power by using military force in American cities.
Speaking on Fox News, Trump said "the mayor is happy" and "the governor is happy" about the pending deployment. Calling the city "deeply troubled," he said "we're going to fix that just like we did Washington," where he's sent the National Guard and surged federal law enforcement.
Tennessee's Republican governor embraced the troop deployment as part of a broader law enforcement surge in Memphis, however Trump's assertion drew pushback from the Democratic leader of Memphis, which is majority Black.
"I did not ask for the National Guard and I don't think it's the way to drive down crime," Mayor Paul Young told a news conference Friday, while acknowledging the city remained high on too many "bad lists."
Several Memphis leaders said they welcome federal help but don't think it needs to involve the military.
Young committed to trying to help the deployment strengthen the community without distracting from ongoing law enforcement efforts.
He said federal officials should aim at the "root source of violent crime" and mentioned rehabilitation and mental health services, jobs and housing needs.
Gov. Bill Lee said he planned to speak with the president on Friday to work out details of the mission.
He said he's still ironing out the best role for the National Guard alongside the FBI, state Highway Patrol, city police and other law enforcement agencies.
"I'm grateful for the President's unwavering support and commitment to providing every resource necessary to serve Memphians," Lee said in a statement.
"Memphis remains on a path to greatness, and we are not going to let anything hold them back."
The governor's consent to the National Guard stands in sharp contrast to Democratic leaders in states like California and Illinois, who argue similar deployments undermine local authority and inflame tensions.
