U.S. Representative Andy Ogles is urging the deployment of the National Guard to both Memphis and now Nashville. He argues that the situation in Nashville has grown serious enough to warrant this measure. Ogles attributes the city’s increasing gang activity to the leadership of Mayor Freddie O’Connell, whom he says has allowed neighborhoods to become havens for international criminal groups.
Ogles took to social media to make his point more striking, stating that Nashville has become an “outpost” for these gangs, and that the city needs protection. He added that leaders who allow such conditions should face consequences, saying “Punish criminals and the Mayors who work for them.”
This call from Ogles follows similar comments by other Republican officials. Senator Marsha Blackburn publicly supported sending the National Guard to Memphis as part of broader efforts to “restore law and order” to cities she considers to have high crime rates. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has already authorized National Guard assistance for immigration enforcement duties, and President Trump has signaled approval for such initiatives in Memphis.
Officials in Nashville have fired back at Ogles’ proposal. The Mayor’s Office criticized him for being “absentee,” noting that he neither resides in Nashville nor maintains an office there. They also highlighted that local police have achieved year-over-year reductions in crime, calling it disrespectful to undermine their efforts.