President Donald Trump on Monday announced that National Guard troops serving in his national crime crackdown will receive the same benefits as active-duty service members.
Speaking at a roundtable on the Memphis (Tennessee) Safe Task Force, Trump said the new directive will cover Guard members assigned to Memphis as well as those serving in Washington, D.C., New Orleans, and on border security missions.
"The secretary of war just signed a directive to ensure that all National Guard members serving on this task force, as well as in D.C., New Orleans, and our border security missions, will receive the same benefits as active-duty troops," Trump said. "Because you deserve it."
The move is a major win for Guard members, who typically receive limited benefits unless formally activated for full-time federal service.
Under active-duty status, troops receive broader healthcare coverage, housing support, tuition assistance, and stronger retirement benefits.
Trump made the announcement while celebrating what the White House described as a successful federal intervention in Memphis, where the administration says the Safe Task Force has made more than 7,400 arrests and removed more than 1,200 illegal firearms from the streets.
A White House official told the Washington Examiner that Memphis recorded fewer than 200 murders in 2025 for the first time since 2019 — a 40% drop from the previous year.
In his remarks, Trump said Memphis had gone from being known for rampant violence to becoming a model for law-and-order restoration.
"For years, prior to our involvement, Memphis had become known for something else — being the murder capital of the USA," Trump said, arguing that the turnaround shows what happens when federal, state, and local law enforcement work together with the National Guard.
Officials at the roundtable credited the task force with helping slash robberies, carjackings, and other serious crimes, while also rescuing more than 150 missing children and breaking up gang and drug networks.
Attorney General Pam Bondi praised Trump for choosing "law and order," while War Secretary Pete Hegseth said the results in Memphis prove that Americans are "entitled to safe, clean, and beautiful cities."
Trump also tied the Memphis success to his broader crackdown on crime and illegal immigration, arguing that weak leadership and open-border policies had fueled violence in cities across the country.
The president said the Guard's upgraded benefits are part of recognizing the sacrifices made by troops deployed on difficult domestic missions.
With Memphis now being held up by the administration as proof that aggressive policing works, Trump signaled that similar task force models could be expanded to other crime-ridden Democrat-run cities.
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