ICYMI: Rep. David Kustoff praises Iran decisions, Memphis task force and West TN farmers

From sharing his support of Trump's decisions about Iran to advocating for West Tennessee farmers, Rep. David Kustoff, 8th Congressional District, stopped in Jackson to update Rotarians on legislative issues.

Kustoff was the Jackson Rotary Club's guest speaker on April 8, where he addressed a variety of topics and the work he's doing behind the scenes in Washington, D.C.

He serves the largest agricultural district in Tennessee and says he regularly visits with family farmers, most notably discussing the impact of the federal estate tax.

The fundamental issue, he says, is family heirs being taxed once a loved one dies, then subsequently having to weigh the cost of selling the farm "to pay Uncle Sam."

"We didn't get rid of the state tax, but we created a very high exemption for state taxes," Kustoff said. "So, with the death of one spouse, you'll now have a $15 million exemption. Two spouses, $30 million. That will protect a lot of family farms and small businesses, not only across West Tennessee but across the nation."He added that 2026 is poised to be a better year than 2025 for farmers.

Kustoff condemns Iranian leadership, commends Trump

On February 28, the United States launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran, aiming to dismantle the country's nuclear weapon and missile forces.

"They have been a state sponsor of terrorism for 47 years," he said. "They've been a threat to not only Israel and other nations in the Middle East, but to the United States for that same time."

Kustoff praised Trump's decision to launch the operation, touting that he "made the right decision."

Noting that Congress receives classified briefings concerning negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, Kustoff says he's "generally satisfied" with the information he's been kept abreast of.

"I think the administration has done a good job communicating what's going on in Iran and with our men and women in uniform," he said. "As we know, the flow of information is constant now."

On April 8, the White House issued a statement saying Iran had agreed to a ceasefire the day prior, leading the way for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran closed on March 2.

When asked what Americans can expect next in the wake of a ceasefire, Kustoff shared the following.

"We need a permanent solution to the Strait of Hormuz; it's important," Kusoff said. "We want to see Iran act more like a democracy than an authoritarian regime, and so that will be important to negotiate with the United States in good faith."

Kustoff unpacks Trump's recent visit to Memphis

Since September of 2025, federal and state law enforcement officials have been deployed to Memphis as part of Trump's launch of the Memphis Safe Task Force to combat crime.

On March 23, Trump visited Memphis to tout the task force's success.

During his Rotary talk, Kustoff shared he accompanied Trump on Air Force One for the visit.

Citing updated statistics he received the day before his Rotary speech, he noted more than 1,500 federal, state, and local law enforcement officials are currently deployed in Memphis.

"[Tennessee] Highway Patrol, which has done a great job helping MPD, Memphis Police, and the Shelby County Sheriff, issued over 19,600 traffic citations," he said.

Since the commencement of the task force, 7,942 arrests have been made, 820 of which were alleged gang members, while 150 missing children have been located, Kustoff cited, according to the U.S. Marshal's Service.