Trump Touts Crime Crackdown in Memphis Visit

President's focus shifts from Iran war to law-and-order ahead of midterm elections

Mar. 25, 2026 at 12:00am

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Four weeks into the Iran war, U.S. President Donald Trump will visit Memphis, Tennessee, on Monday to highlight his administration's crime crackdown efforts in the city. The surge of federal agents to Memphis started in September 2025 after the city had the highest rate of violent crime per capita in the country. Overall crime is now down about 43% compared to last year, according to local law enforcement data. Trump hopes highlighting the crime reduction will resonate with voters as he faces high-stakes military decisions, war-driven economic uncertainty, and tries to redefine his law enforcement record after the tumultuous crackdown in Minnesota earlier this year.

Why it matters

Trump's visit to Memphis marks a shift in focus from the ongoing Iran war to domestic law-and-order issues, which the Republican Party has often embraced. The president hopes highlighting the crime reduction in Memphis will help bring the conversation back to political territory that has traditionally favored his party, as he looks to bolster GOP prospects in the November midterm elections.

The details

The Memphis Safe Task Force, launched in September 2025, has made close to 7,000 arrests and seized almost 1,100 illegal firearms since the crackdown began. Overall crime is down about 43% compared to last year, according to local law enforcement data. Trump's top political advisers want him talking about kitchen table issues, but Americans' affordability concerns and his recent foreign policy pursuits have overshadowed his domestic trips to areas controlled by Republican politicians.

  • The Memphis Safe Task Force was launched in September 2025.
  • Overall crime is down about 43% compared to last year.

The players

Donald Trump

The President of the United States.

Kimberly Jenkins

A 55-year-old hospital administrator visiting Memphis from Houston, Texas.

Darius O'Neal

A 33-year-old law student who questioned Trump's political motivations for the law enforcement surge in Memphis.

Dewayne Hambrick

A 60-year-old Memphis photographer who considers himself a Democrat and said the increased law enforcement presence has been "great".

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What they’re saying

“We're in a war that we know nothing about, and we really do make a decent salary, but gas is getting too expensive for us.”

— Kimberly Jenkins, hospital administrator

“The crazy presence of National Guard and ramped-up police is only in the predominant tourist areas.”

— Darius O'Neal, law student

“I think it's been great that the law enforcement is here.”

— Dewayne Hambrick, photographer

What’s next

The president's visit to Memphis comes as he faces high-stakes military decisions and war-driven economic uncertainty. The outcome of the midterm elections in November could shape the remainder of his term.

The takeaway

Trump's visit to Memphis highlights his administration's efforts to crack down on crime as a political strategy ahead of the midterm elections, even as the country grapples with the ongoing Iran war and its economic impacts.