Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a rabid Democrat, complained on Wednesday that the Trump administration is trying to “shoot people” in the inner cities.
Why would Bass say such a thing? Because of President Donald Trump’s nationwide, expanding federal crackdown on crime, which this past Monday reached Memphis, Tennessee.
Here in Memphis starting tomorrow The National Guard FBI and all their partners will be deploying. Let Me say Come On in. you are Welcome here. pic.twitter.com/PzypPpguud
— Trump Warrior (@Denman516) September 28, 2025
Speaking about the crackdown live from Memphis on Wednesday, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller promised local police that they would be “unleashed” with the full support of the administration to “go out and get the criminals off the streets.”
This line in particular really, really upset Bass. Appearing on CNN later Wednesday evening, she portrayed Trump’s federal crackdown on crime as some sort of “tragic” injustice.
“Let me just register that this is such a tragic moment in our history, and the experiment that started here has now gone to other cities and is now being generalized,” she said. “I believe that they have been dosing the American people so that this becomes normalized behavior.”
God forbid crime-fighting become normalized.
She went on to complain both about Miller’s words and also the words of the president, who suggested earlier this week that cities like Memphis could be used as “training grounds” for the military.
“So what that is saying is, is that the President of the United States wants to turn the U.S. Military against the American people and to tell law enforcement that they are now unleashed and they can use their guns, is essentially saying, go in primarily inner city communities and shoot people,” she alleged.
“So, after years of trying to work on police reform, and that was an issue that I worked on when I was a member of Congress, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, to improve police and community relations, Stephen Miller just said, let’s antagonize it, because clearly this is only going to happen in certain communities. And this is just a tragic moment, and it’s a real challenge to our democracy and such a profoundly negative way,” she concluded.
(Video Credit: CNN)
Yet for an endeavor that’s allegedly so “profoundly negative,” Trump’s crime crackdown has attracted considerable support among the populace.
“I love the idea of federal government supporting local and state government when local and state government have either not been able to control the violence or have chosen not to control the violence by not prosecuting those violent offenders,” local resident Aaron Michaels told Memphis station WMC.
“It’s some truth in it,” resident Bert Hammond admitted, though he stressed that the fact that Memphis needs federal intervention in the first place isn’t such a great thing.
“We as a people, man, you know, as a community, we’ve got to come together,” he said. “We shouldn’t have the National Guard coming here. What that’s telling me is the police can’t control crime here, you know? So they’ve got to call outside help, you know. We don’t know what’s going to happen, you know?”
Fair enough.
“I welcome this task force,” 30-year Memphis resident Rickey Jemison told CNN. “The Memphis Police Department has been saying for the longest that they need more officers. They said that’s one of the reasons why the crime is out of hand.”
WATCH: A patriot crashes CNN’s live shot in Memphis with a sign that says “Democrats Destroyed Memphis” on the front and “Thank You, President Trump” on the back.
What a legend. pic.twitter.com/6nXRUTFg8w
— CJ Pearson (@thecjpearson) October 1, 2025
The good news is that Memphis Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, is cooperating with the Trump administration.
“We’ve seen historic reductions in crime over the past 20 or so months, and we want to continue to build upon that,” he told a CNN affiliate on Wednesday. “We do have every reason to believe that they are going to be collaborative and work with our police department throughout this process.”
As for the opponents of the crackdown, they’re mostly being ignored for the time being.
“Opponents of a troop deployment in Memphis who gathered Saturday at city hall argued federal resources instead should go to education, crime prevention, youth services, and hospitals,” CNN noted.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.