Boy Thanks Trump for National Guard in Memphis
A young boy expressed his gratitude to President Donald Trump on Thursday for sending the National Guard to Memphis, Tennessee, in an effort to combat crime. The child, Braylon, shared his sentiments in a TikTok video where he mentioned his mother had previously kept him indoors due to fears of violence until the guards arrived. According to him, their presence has contributed to a noticeable sense of safety in the community.
Braylon stated, “My name is Braylon, and I live here in Memphis. Since the National Guard came, I’ve noticed not just a slight change in peace in Memphis, but a detrimental change.” He reflected on the past when outdoor play was limited because of concerns about gun violence, saying, “Before the National Guard came, there were a lot of things we couldn’t do because we had to worry about guns. But now we can.” He wanted to thank the president for this positive development.
National Guard troops arrived in Memphis on October 10 as part of an effort to address rising crime rates and increase the arrest of violent offenders. As of Thursday, the Memphis Safety Task Force reported taking 978 safety actions and confiscating 197 illegal firearms.
In 2024, statistics indicated that Memphis had the highest rate of violent crime among major U.S. cities, with 2,501 incidents reported per 100,000 residents, as noted by data from the FBI. However, Memphis Mayor Paul Young expressed dissatisfaction with the deployment, stating, “I’m certainly not satisfied,” during an interview with CNN.
This deployment followed a previous National Guard presence in Washington, D.C., starting in August, where over 4,000 arrests were made alongside the seizure of more than 400 firearms. While some reports claimed a 34% drop in crime, local police statistics showed that this figure excluded certain violent crimes, and the FBI recorded an overall decrease of just 10%. Notably, a majority of Washington voters felt that Trump’s actions against crime were justified.
Additionally, National Guard troops have also been sent to Chicago, a city facing a significant rise in homicides over the last decade. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have consistently voiced their concerns about the National Guard’s presence, urging President Trump to reconsider this action.
