Salesforce CEO Backs Trump’s National Guard Deployment Plan for San Francisco
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has sparked outrage among San Francisco’s Democratic leadership by endorsing President Donald Trump and supporting the deployment of National Guard troops to the city. Benioff’s comments during a recent interview have created a major political rift in the tech hub.
Key Takeaways
- Marc Benioff expressed “avid support” for President Trump
- He endorsed sending National Guard troops to San Francisco
- City officials reacted with strong opposition and anger
- Comments came ahead of Salesforce’s Dreamforce conference
Trump’s Proposed Federal Intervention
During an August Oval Office gathering, President Trump had mentioned considering federal troop deployment in San Francisco, claiming Democrats had “destroyed” the city and vowing to “clean that one up, too.” Benioff directly supported this proposal, telling The New York Times: “We don’t have enough cops, so if they can be cops, I’m all for it.”
Dreamforce Security Concerns
Benioff made these remarks while traveling to San Francisco for the company’s annual Dreamforce conference. He revealed he pays for hundreds of off-duty police officers to patrol the convention area and argued the city needs to “re-fund” the police.
Throughout the 50-minute conversation, Benioff maintained his support for Trump, stating: “I fully support the president. I think he’s doing a great job.” He also praised Elon Musk’s DOGE initiative and tech billionaire David Sacks, who chairs Trump’s science advisory council.
San Francisco Officials React
Democratic leaders responded with strong condemnation. Assemblyman Matt Haney declared: “You can’t support San Francisco and want to see us invaded. It’s one thing to wrongly support Trump’s misguided economic policies. It’s quite another to support a direct assault and occupation of our city.”
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins expressed fury at the National Guard proposal, vowing to prosecute anyone—including federal agents—who becomes violent or harasses residents.
While Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman agreed the city needs more police, he saw no justification for sending federal troops.
