The move comes one month after the president sent the National Guard into Washington, D.C.
"Today, at the request of Gov. Bill Lee of Tennessee, who's standing with us as you know, I'm signing a presidential memorandum to establish the Memphis Safe Task Force and it's very important because of the crime that's going on not only in Memphis, but in many cities and we're going to take care of all of them," Trump said.
"Just like we did in D.C. We have virtually no crime in D.C., right now and we're going to keep it that way. It's our nation's capital," Trump added, before announcing "Chicago is probably next," as well as St. Louis and New Orleans.
According to the White House, violent crime in Memphis has "overwhelmed its local government's ability to respond effectively." The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Memphis had the highest rate of violent crime per capita last year to include murder, robbery, aggravated assault and property crimes.
"We have to save these cities," Trump repeated throughout Monday's signing ceremony.
"A person is four times more likely to be murdered today in Memphis, Tenn., than in Mexico City," Trump said, according to statistics. "It's been overrun with carjackings, robberies, shootings and killings. There were 249 murders, 429 rapes, 5,616 burglaries and 12,522 violent assaults" within the last year, according to the FBI data.
The Memphis Safe Task Force will increase policing and investigations with aggressive prosecution to "restore public order," according to the signed memorandum.
Tennessee's governor has been instructed to use National Guard units from his state first, with the federal government adding additional personnel, if needed.
"The task force will be a replica, as I said, and I think will be equally as successful as in Washington. We essentially had the crime down to a very low rate in 12 days," Trump claimed.
"The effort will include the National Guard, as well as the FBI, ATF, DEA, ICE, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Marshals," Trump said, adding that the Department of Justice would also be involved in the prosecutions.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young and other Democrats have said they do not want the administration's help and do not believe it will lower crime.
"We don't have a say in the National Guard, but our goal is to ensure that we have influence in how they engage in the community," Young told reporters Friday.
Lee, a Republican, thanked the Trump administration Monday for providing the federal resources to Memphis.
"We are very hopeful and excited about the prospect of moving that city forward," Lee said. "I've been in office for seven years. I'm tired of crime holding the great city of Memphis back."
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