A group of Memphis City Council members, led by one of the Democratic candidates for governor, has drafted a resolution opposing the presence of National Guard troops in Memphis. The deployment is part of a crime-fighting strategy by President Donald Trump and Governor Bill Lee.
The resolution, which the full council could vote on next Tuesday, urges Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to reject the Guard’s deployment, which is part of the Memphis Safe Task Force President Donald Trump announced from the White House on Monday.
Council member Jerri Green, who announced a few months ago that she is running for governor, is sponsoring the resolution with support from fellow council members JB Smiley Jr., Pearl Walker and Dr. Jeff Warren. If approved by the council, it would not be binding on Lee.
Green is running for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2026, and Smiley is a candidate in the 2026 Democratic primary for Shelby County mayor.
“Decisions about Memphis should be made with us, not forced upon us by politicians who have never walked our streets,” Green said in the press release announcing the proposed council resolution. “I stand ready to reject any attempts to undermine our democracy.”
Trump called for the Guard deployment, similar to what has been done in Washington, D.C., and which has already produced dramatic results in lowering violent crime in the Capitol. The deployment of the Guard to Memphis is part of a broader federal crime suppression effort focused on large cities where crime has become rampant. Trump talked with Memphis radio host Todd Starnes about the possible deployment several weeks ago.
If approved, the City Council resolution would be the first formal expression of opposition to the Guard deployment.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young has also opposed the deployment of the guard to patrol Memphis, but has said he is powerless to stop it.
Steve Gill is the publisher and editor of TriStar Daily.
