Memphis reporter Dalisia Ballinger was fired from her job at the Tri-State Defender after she posted a video on TikTok in which she thanked President Donald Trump for sending the National Guard to Memphis to help with that city's crime epidemic.
Ballinger said she was expressing her personal opinion in an off-duty capacity and noted that, as a homeowner and single mother living in the community, she felt safer after the National Guard's presence.
Ballinger covered the local school system and community issues for the Tri-State Defender, a black-focused newspaper.
The media outlet reportedly claimed that Ballinger's social media post violated journalistic policies on objectivity.
Ballinger said she believes the backlash was due to "people's hate for Trump" overshadowing her message about community safety.
"I'm not a Republican or a Democrat," the reporter said.
After her firing, Ballinger was interviewed by Newsmax TV:
A black journalist was fired after she thanked President Trump for sending the National Guard to Memphis. She joined me on @NEWSMAX @VoteMarsha @timburchett @GlennJacobsTN @SenBrentTaylor @GOPShelby @AGPamBondi pic.twitter.com/LrXlUnhSKB
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) October 17, 2025
