Congressman John Rose, who represents Tennessee’s Sixth Congressional District and is currently running for Governor, said he plans to deploy the National Guard to Memphis to deal with high crime rates during a Friday morning radio interview with Memphis’ KWAM Radio.
During the visit with Mighty 990, host Todd Starnes asked whether or not Rose would consider sending the National Guard to Memphis, citing recent FBI crime data which ranks Memphis and Nashville as among the top ten most violent cities in the United States, with Memphis at the top.
“Absolutely,” Rose responded, “I think Memphians and Tennesseans generally deserve a level of safety, and if the current crime statistics were to continue and if I was governor I would absolutely call on the National Guard to help stabilize the situation.”
Starnes mentioned Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s support for President Trump’s proposal to send troops to New Orleans before he asked Rose if he would call on Gov. Bill Lee to urge Trump to send troops to Memphis in the near future.
“I always try to be careful when it comes to second-guessing a leader like Governor Lee. I think he’s generally done a good job,” Rose responded before confirming that he believes “it would be appropriate” based on the information he currently has.
When asked what Rose would do to help the economy of West Tennessee as Governor, he declared that it would be important to listen to the demands of community leaders who are more aware of the Bluff City’s socioeconomic situation, but also stated that Memphis will likely need some level of state intervention to get back on track
“I don’t think there are simple answers,” Rose noted, “but I think staying very focused on working with community leaders and others — you know, people who are plugged into what’s happening in Memphis, and listening to their ideas. But ultimately, the Governor and the General Assembly have to step in and where local government is failing, figure out ways to work past them and augment what they’re doing.”
Rose’s suggested state intervention closely mirrors policies found in House Bill 0662, which would establish a state-controlled oversight board over Memphis-Shelby County schools.
One of Rose’s competitors in the Republican race for Governor, Senator Marsha Blackburn, previously said that she also supported bringing the national guard to the city.
“Blue cities like Memphis need all the help they can get to combat violent crime, and I’m grateful for President Trump’s tremendous work to hold leftist officials accountable for putting their own citizens at risk by pushing soft-on-crime agendas,” Blackburn has said.
“I support the Trump administration’s efforts to restore law and order in lawless cities across America, and I’ll continue to work with the President, Attorney General Bondi, and Director Patel to do whatever it takes to make cities like Memphis safe again.”
Rose and Blackburn are contending for the GOP nomination for Governor as current Gov. Bill Lee is term-limited. That primary election will take place in August 2026.
Steve Gill is editor and publisher of TriStar Daily.
