Trump Visits Memphis to Tout Crime-Fighting Efforts as Iran War Lingers [View all]

Source: US News & World Report/Reuters

March 23, 2026, at 6:03 a.m.


MEMPHIS, March 23 (Reuters) - Four weeks into the Iran war, U.S. President Donald Trump ⁠will ⁠shift his focus from overseas conflict to law‑and‑order, ⁠visiting Memphis, Tennessee, on Monday to highlight his crime crackdown to bolster his party ahead of November midterm elections.

Trump’s expected ​tough talk on crime and immigration marks a return to an issue that he hopes will resonate with voters as he faces high‑stakes military decisions and war‑driven economic uncertainty, and ‌tries to redefine his law enforcement record after the ‌tumultuous crackdown in Minnesota earlier this year.

The surge of thousands of federal agents to Memphis started in September. The city had the highest rate of violent crime per capita ⁠in the country, ⁠according to the FBI, prompting Trump to stand up the Memphis Safe Task Force. "The city, a beacon ​of American culture that was Elvis’s home and is often called the birthplace of rock and roll and the blues, should be safe and secure for all of its citizens," Trump's order said at the time, mobilizing National Guard troops for patrol, as he did in Washington, DC.

Overall crime is down in Memphis about 43% compared to last year, according to local law enforcement ​data. The task force said recently it has made close to 7,000 arrests and seized almost 1,100 illegal firearms since the crackdown began.

Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-03-23/trump-visits-memphis-to-tout-crime-fighting-efforts-as-iran-war-lingers