NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — 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. Tennessee’s Republican governor said he 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