Trump says he’s sending National Guard to majority-Black Memphis, an apparent new strategy after court setback

“This deployment is unjust, unconstitutional, and un-American!” said Tennessee State Rep. Justin J. Pearson.

President Donald Trump announced he is sending the National Guard to Memphis, a majority-Black city in Tennessee, a Republican-controlled state.

“We’re going to Memphis,” Trump told Fox News on Friday, calling the city “deeply troubled.” The president said he had the support of both Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Memphis Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat.

“We’re going to fix that, just like we fixed Washington,” said Trump, who declared a “crime emergency” in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 11 and deployed the National Guard. He also sent troops on the ground in Los Angeles in June. Both cities are led by Black mayors with majority Black and brown populations. Memphis, also led by a Black mayor, is nearly 63% Black.

For weeks, Trump threatened to send troops to other Black and brown-majority cities like Chicago and Baltimore. But after a federal court in California ruled that his deployment of troops to LA was illegal, Trump has seemingly shifted his crime operation tactic to other majority-Black or Black-led cities in red states, where he will have better cooperation with Republican governors.

“Donald Trump was dealt a pretty hard blow by the courts when it came to his illegal use of the National Guard…he is taking lessons from that,” said Democratic strategist Ameshia Cross, who told theGrio that in states like Maryland (Baltimore) and Illinois (Chicago), Trump faced Democratic leaders who were ready to “stand up” and challenge his administration in court. “He’s going to go to a place that’s easier,” said Cross.

President Trump indicated he would also send the National Guard to New Orleans, a majority-Black city with a Black mayor in the red state of Louisiana.

Memphis Mayor Paul Young said he welcomed “effective support” for the city upon learning that Gov. Lee and President Trump were deploying the National Guard.

“I am committed to working to ensure any efforts strengthen our community and build on our progress,” said Young. However, the Democratic mayor added, “What we need most are financial resources for intervention and prevention, additional patrol officers, and case support to strengthen MPD’s investigations.”

Tennessee State Rep. Justin J. Pearson, whose district represents parts of Memphis, rejected the federal, state, and local cooperation to send the National Guard to Memphis.

“While I share the deep concern for those in our city who are harmed by gun violence and other crimes, the use of military force in our streets is not the solution,” Pearson said in a statement.

The elected official, known nationally for being a part of the “Tennessee Three,” said the National Guard is trained for “combat and crisis response,” and not for the “delicate, complex task of community relations, local policing and building public trust.”

“Their deployment risks escalating tensions, endangering both civilians and service members, and eroding the very sense of security we seek to protect. This deployment is unjust, unconstitutional, and un-American!” said Pearson.

The lawmaker said it’s “no coincidence” that the Trump administration is “targeting Black-led cities with Republican-influenced leaders.”

Cross told theGrio that she believes Trump’s targeting of Black and brown cities is political amid rising unemployment and cost of living, despite his promise to bring down prices on “day one.”

“President Trump recognizes that the economic numbers and personal economies of individuals across this country aren’t that great,” she argued. “He ran on bringing prices down. Prices are up. He ran on making sure that housing was affordable…He ran on a lot of things that have not come to fruition.”

Cross continued, “He knows that the one thing that he does have–because he does have a crime narrative–is crime. So he likes to talk about it, even though crime is down in cities across America. He likes to talk about it as though we all live in Gotham, because it has been proven to work for him.”

Rep. Pearson said that rather than sending boots on the ground in Memphis, communities really need proper investments in social and economic programs.

“Instead of militarizing our neighborhoods, we should invest in proven strategies: strengthening local law enforcement accountability, increasing mental health and addiction services, ensuring economic opportunity and living wages, eradicating poverty, and fostering open communication between city leaders and the people they serve,” said the Tennessee leader. “The people of Memphis need solutions that build trust and healing, not fear and intimidation.”