Nashville Officials Downplay Possibility Of National Guard Deployment After Memphis Announcement

Boring Company responds to Nashville mayor’s questions, claims project is ‘weatherproof’.

Image Credit: Martin B. Cherry / Nashville Banner & Canva

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by Stephen Elliott, [The Nashville Banner, Creative Commons] –

President Donald Trump said Friday that the National Guard would be deployed to Memphis, but officials in Nashville aren’t yet raising alarms about a deployment in the capital city. 

Asked about the announcement on Friday, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell said that no one on his team has discussed the possibility of a Nashville deployment with state or federal government officials. 

“I’m interested to hear from [Memphis Mayor Paul] Young what he may have known about this announcement in advance, if anything, and certainly we will be making sure we do reach out to the governor’s office to see what we can learn,” O’Connell said. “We continue to pay attention to overall crime data in the city, and I’m very pleased with the progress the Metro Nashville Police Department continues to make on lowering crime rates across the city.”

Don Aaron, spokesperson for MNPD, poured cold water on the possibility of a National Guard deployment. 

“We don’t have any belief that there’s going to be National Guard movement here,” he told the Banner.

Young on Friday offered a cautious statement about the news, acknowledging that he was aware that Trump and Gov. Bill Lee were considering deploying the National Guard since earlier this week. 

“I am committed to working to ensure any efforts strengthen our community and build on our progress,” the Memphis mayor said. “We agree with Governor Lee that effective support for Memphis comes through focused initiatives that deliver results like we have seen with the FBI, state troopers, and other law enforcement partnerships. What we need most are financial resources for intervention and prevention, additional patrol officers, and case support to strengthen MPD’s investigations.”

Memphis, like Nashville, has seen dramatic decreases in reported crime in recent months. Both cities, though, have higher rates of crimes committed against people than Washington, D.C., where Lee sent National Guard troops to participate in domestic policing efforts. The Tennessee National Guard is also helping federal immigration authorities in Nashville, and Lee deployed the guard to help quell racial justice protests in Nashville in 2020.

For months, U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, a Maury County Republican who represents part of Nashville, has been issuing threats and asking state and federal leaders to send the National Guard to Nashville. 

Lee on Friday said he has been “in constant communication with the Trump administration to develop a multi-phased, strategic plan to combat crime in Memphis.” In recent weeks, Lee has flip-flopped on the issue, at first telling reporters he had no plans to deploy troops to Memphis before reversing course. 

A string of Democrat politicians from Memphis issued statements Friday criticizing the announcement. 

State Rep. Jesse Chism expressed concern about “an occupying strike force made up of folk who don’t know Memphis and don’t have a relationship with the people and the communities.”

State Sen. Raumesh Akbari described the move as a political stunt and an “abuse of power.”

“We cannot stop the National Guard from coming into Memphis,” she said. “So if they’re here, I urge them to work directly with our mayor and our police leadership to determine the best use of their time. Just like during the pandemic when they helped give out vaccines and provided support for our area hospitals, I pray something good will come from this.”

Added Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris: “We obviously want more support from the state, even more support from the federal partners is fine, but that support shouldn’t come in the form of military personnel, people carrying semi-automatic weapons and driving around in armored vehicles.”