Marc Benioff apologizes for suggesting sending National Guard to San Francisco

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Salesforce billionaire Marc Benioff walked back comments Friday suggesting President Donald Trump should send the National Guard to San Francisco. The tech CEO’s remarks initially sparked a wave of criticism.

“After listening carefully to my fellow San Francisco residents and our local officials, and after the largest and most secure Dreamforce in our history, I do not believe the National Guard is necessary to keep San Francisco safe,” Benioff said on X Friday.

“My previous comment came from an abundance of caution around the event, and I sincerely apologize for the concern it has caused,” he added.

The company’s annual Dreamforce conference took place this week and drew tens of thousands of people to the city.

Last week, Benioff said The New York Times said it supported Trump’s deployment of federal troops to Democratic-led cities and believed it could help reduce crime in San Francisco.

“We don’t have enough cops, so if they can be cops, I’m all for it,” he said. said at the Times.

Benioff is the latest tech billionaire from the Bay Area, once a liberal stronghold, to be comfortable with Trump during the president’s second term.

Benioff’s comments sparked a rapid reaction, including from those around him. The times reported That prominent venture capitalist Ron Conway left the Salesforce Foundation board following Benioff’s comments about Trump. CNN has contacted Salesforce to confirm the departure.

THE The Times also reported On Thursday, Benioff’s ties to Trump extended beyond support for his mobilization of the National Guard in American cities. The report cites internal documents showing Salesforce presenting itself as a tool to boost recruiting for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which seeks to speed up deportations across the country, and suggesting how AI could help evaluate information and improve ICE investigations.

Salesforce did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment regarding the report. The company told the New York Times that it had served the U.S. government under previous administrations; the report notes that Salesforce contracted with ICE during the Obama and Biden administrations.