Marc Benioff, the CEO of Salesforce, has issued a public apology after facing backlash for suggesting President Trump should deploy the National Guard to San Francisco. The tech billionaire posted Friday on X that he does not believe troops are needed to address safety in the city, saying that his original comments were made out of caution as his company's Dreamforce conference brought 50,000 people downtown, the New York Times reports. "I sincerely apologize for the concern it caused," Benioff wrote, emphasizing his belief that San Francisco makes the most progress "when we all work together in a spirit of partnership."
Benioff's initial remarks, made in a phone interview with the Times, drew sharp criticism from local leaders and tech peers. Mayor Daniel Lurie, Californiai Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi both rejected the idea of federal troops, citing falling crime rates and increased police hiring. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins accused Benioff of supporting "government-sponsored violence against US citizens," while longtime friend and investor Ron Conway resigned from a Salesforce philanthropic board, saying he no longer recognized Benioff. The CEO wrote that he changed his mind after "having listened closely to my fellow San Franciscans and our local officials, and after the largest and safest Dreamforce in our history," per CNBC.
Elon Musk was among those who quickly broadcast and endorsed the call to use the National Guard by Benioff, a Trump supporter, CNBC points out. And the president, saying he was consider using the troops, called San Francisco "a mess" this week. Salesforce's largest customer is the federal government, with contracts across multiple agencies. The company is reportedly seeking additional work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to use AI tools in expanding ICE's law enforcement capacity.
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