President credits troop deployments with steep crime drops, urges National Guard aid for major cities

The President credited the presence of federal personnel and troops with improvements in urban safety, saying "Crime is down 75%" in Memphis after a short deployment and urging similar action in cities such as Chicago and New York. He said bringing National Guard forces and other federal support to troubled cities could quickly reduce violent crime, and he used the example of recent deployments to argue for similar measures elsewhere.

Those statements were framed as the President's assessment of the effect of federal deployments. He said the public sees tangible safety improvements in Washington and elsewhere and argued federal resources can be effective in reducing street crime. The remarks did not include independent crime statistics or local official confirmations during the event.