President Donald Trump announced on Monday, September 15, that a task force has been established to combat crime in Memphis, Tennessee, in his attempt to crackdown on crime and make U.S. cities more safe.
He signed a presidential memorandum that mobilizes federal law enforcement agents to Memphis as a part of a task force that includes the Tennessee National Guard, according to CBS News.
“The effort will include the National Guard as well as the FBI, ATF, DEA, ICE, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S, Marshals,” Trump, 79, said, per CBS News.
The president explained that authorities will “straighten out” Memphis, which The Hill reports has one of the nation’s highest violent crime rates. Trump even said a person is four times more likely to be killed in Memphis than Mexico City, per CBS News.
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Trump also explained that the Memphis-based task force will be a “replica” of the efforts in Washington, D.C. In addition to Memphis and Washington, D.C., the task forces have also been deployed to Los Angeles.
He explained he moved forward with the memo “at the request” of Tennessee’s Republican Governor Bill Lee, who was present for the signing at the Oval Office. In the memo, the Secretary of War is directed to go to the governor to make the Tennessee National Guard available to help federal law enforcement.
“They’re a volunteer state,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, according to CBS News. “We’re not going to have any problems with the Tennessee National Guard.”
During the signing, Trump said that Chicago will likely be the next city that deploys task forces. However, he said “we’re going to wait a little while” before that happens. Additionally, he also said that St. Louis is on his radar.
“We have to save St. Louis. We have to save Chicago,” he said, per CBS News.
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Prior to the signing on September 15, Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday, September 13 to share that federal law enforcement has been working in Memphis for the last five months. However, he said “the real work by us has barely begun.”
“The only reason crime is somewhat down in Memphis is because the FBI, and others in the Federal Government, at my direction, have been working there for 5 months – on the absolutely terrible Crime numbers,” he wrote. “Likewise, in Chicago and Los Angeles! But the real work by us has barely begun. That happens after we make the official announcement that WE’RE COMING, and when we do that, as we did in now VERY SAFE WASHINGTON, D.C., the no crime ‘miracle’ begins. ONLY I CAN SAVE THEM!!!”
