A Memphis child publicly thanked President Donald Trump for deploying the National Guard to his city, saying the troops’ presence has made his neighborhood peaceful and safe enough for him to play outside again, as reported by The Western Journal.
The child, identified as Braylon, appeared in a TikTok video uploaded by his mother on Thursday. In the video, he described how life in Memphis has changed since National Guard troops arrived earlier this month to address the city’s escalating crime problem.
“My name is Braylon and I live here in Memphis. I’ve been noticing not just a slight change, more of a detrimental change of how peaceful Memphis is ever since the National Guard came,” he said.
“There were a lot of things that I couldn’t do before the National Guard came because I had to worry about guns and stuff. I couldn’t play because I was worried that somebody might pull out a gun or something. But now I can do that. And I just wanted to thank the President of the United States for bringing the National Guard here.”
WATCH: Young man in Memphis thanks POTUS for making Memphis safe pic.twitter.com/mC3nLLUZn1
— Kaelan Dorr (@Kaelan47) October 16, 2025
National Guard troops were deployed to Memphis on Oct. 10 as part of a federal initiative to curb violent crime. The Memphis Safe Task Force reported that as of Thursday, the combined effort has resulted in 978 arrests and the seizure of 197 illegal firearms.
According to FBI data cited by Stateline, Memphis recorded the highest violent crime rate among all major U.S. cities in 2024, with 2,501 incidents per 100,000 residents.
Despite these statistics, Democratic Memphis Mayor Paul Young told CNN he was “certainly not happy” about the National Guard deployment.
The deployment to Memphis followed similar federal efforts in Washington, D.C., where National Guard troops were sent in August. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed Tuesday that the D.C. operation has led to more than 4,000 arrests and over 400 firearm seizures.
Although some media outlets claimed crime was down by 34 percent in the capital, FBI data showed the real decline was closer to 10 percent, as local reports had excluded aggravated and felony assaults.
Polling in Washington indicated that a majority of residents supported President Trump’s anti-crime crackdown and viewed the Guard’s presence as “justified and necessary.”
The National Guard has also been deployed to Chicago amid a significant rise in homicides over the past decade.
Democratic Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have voiced opposition to the federal presence and have publicly urged President Trump not to send additional troops.
For Memphis residents like Braylon, however, the increased security has been a relief. His message of gratitude highlighted how federal efforts have impacted daily life in cities plagued by violence, especially for families who say they can now live — and play — without fear.
