Memphis Safe Task Force Established by President Trump

On Monday, President Trump announced the formation of the Memphis Safe Task Force, aimed at emulating Tennessee’s recent federal law enforcement initiatives.

“This task force will mirror the remarkable and effective efforts we’ve seen here,” Trump remarked, referencing the coordination with Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Republican senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, during a discussion near the Oval Office.

The task force was established at the request of Governor Lee. Various federal law enforcement agencies, including the National Guard, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, DEA, ICE, and Homeland Security, will be operational in Memphis.

“I’m fed up with the crime affecting our major cities,” Lee expressed, mentioning conversations he had with Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI officials about this multi-agency approach.

“When we unite, we can really make a difference in our city and in Memphis… I just want to say thank you,” the governor emphasized.

Trump also indicated that Chicago might be “probably the next one” on the list, as he noted an increased federal police presence in Illinois over the past weeks.

“We were making efforts to keep it under control. We were trying some smaller initiatives. The fact is our people are excellent… I don’t think we need to practice too much,” Trump added.

While the decision to initiate actions in Memphis has backing from state officials, Memphis Mayor Paul Young (D) disputed Trump’s claims about his approval regarding the National Guard deployment in the city.

For months, Trump has expressed a desire to tackle issues in Chicago, although Illinois Governor JB Pritzker (D) has resisted notions of federal intervention.

In July, Trump invoked provisions from the Home Rule Act to assume control over DC police, allowing him authority for managing emergencies for up to 30 days. This control officially ended last week.

Following Mayor DC Muriel Bowser’s (D) announcement about discontinuing cooperation with ICE efforts, Trump threatened to declare a national emergency early on Monday.