Overview

• The president announced on Fox & Friends that Memphis will receive National Guard troops and said he would include “anybody else we need,” adding the military could be used if needed.
• Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee confirmed he is coordinating with the White House and said officials are working out the Guard’s role alongside the FBI, state troopers and local police.
• Memphis Mayor Paul Young said he did not request the National Guard and questioned its effectiveness, while committing to work to ensure any federal effort strengthens the community.
• The legal basis and operational timeline were not specified, with questions raised about Posse Comitatus and possible use of the Insurrection Act following a recent ruling that the Los Angeles deployment was unlawful in that jurisdiction.
• The White House cites high 2024 FBI violent‑crime rates in Memphis, while the Memphis Police Department reports 2025 crime at a 25‑year low, underscoring competing narratives likely to fuel political pushback and civil‑liberties scrutiny.