Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) joined President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House to announce the Memphis Safe Task Force.
On Monday, Trump signed a memorandum ordering an aggressive federal intervention in Memphis in response to what he called “tremendous levels of violent crime.”
The presidential memorandum, titled “Restoring Law and Order in Memphis,” establishes a multi-agency task force and authorizes the deployment of National Guard units to assist “overwhelmed” local law enforcement.
Citing FBI data that ranked Memphis as having the highest violent crime rate per capita in 2024, Trump called for “hypervigilant policing” and “large-scale saturation” of affected neighborhoods.
Lee, who said the deployment of National Guard troops in Memphis came after “months” of his office communicating with the Trump administration, said during the Oval Office meeting with Trump that he is “tired of crime holding the great city of Memphis back.”
.@GovBillLee: "I have been in office for seven years. I'm tired of crime holding the great city of Memphis back." pic.twitter.com/9KuKVCaDe7
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 15, 2025
“[T]hanks to President Trump’s leadership, the Memphis Safe Task Force will ensure we have every resource at our disposal to create significant change,” Lee added in a statement.
Blackburn also delivered remarks while appearing with Trump, crediting the FBI’s “Operation Viper” for resulting in over 500 arrests and over 100 indictments in Memphis over the summer.
.@MarshaBlackburn: "To have a new phase of this enforcement for Memphis, where we are going to have all of these agencies working as a team… Mr. President, we are so grateful, and we thank you." pic.twitter.com/GHkmei9wPG
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 15, 2025
“Mr. President, thank you so much. I want to say thank you to Director Patel because he had promised that he would come into Memphis. We’ve had Operation Viper there this summer. There have been over 500 arrests. There are over 100 indictments, and Memphis had the best stats they have had in years this past August. Last month, it was the best August they have had,” Blackburn said.
“It’s because of the work that’s been done and now to have a new phase of this enforcement for Memphis, where we are going to have all of these agencies working as a team, as the Governor said, making certain that this is a long-term effort to Make Memphis Safe Again. Mr. President, we are so grateful, and we thank you,” she added.
.@SenatorHagerty: "This shouldn't be a partisan issue; this should be something that is our primary goal. Certainly, I hope to see Memphis become the safest city in America." pic.twitter.com/tFIfPxChp1
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 15, 2025
Hagerty said addressing Memphis’ crime “shouldn’t be a partisan issue; this should be something that is our primary goal,” adding “Certainly, I hope to see Memphis become the safest city in America.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Tennessee Republicans in Oval Office” by Gov. Bill Lee.
