The head of Salesforce says he no longer supports Trump sending the National Guard to San Francisco
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff apologized on Friday for comments suggesting President Trump should deploy the National Guard to San Francisco, saying he no longer believes it is necessary.
“After listening closely to my fellow San Franciscans and our local officials, and after the largest and safest Dreamforce in our history, I do not believe there is a need for the National Guard to address safety in San Francisco,” Benioff wrote in a post on X.
Ahead of his software company’s annual Dreamforce conference, the billionaire told the New York Times that he supports the idea of sending Guard soldiers to help reduce crime in the city.
Benioff’s comments sparked an immediate backlash, prompting prominent venture capitalist Ron Conway to step down from his role on the board of Salesforce’s philanthropic arm.
Conway said in an email to the Salesforce CEO that he was “shocked and disappointed” and “now barely recognizes the person I have long admired,” according to the Times.
“My previous comment was made out of an abundance of caution regarding the event, and I sincerely apologize for the concern it caused,” Benioff said in a post on Friday.
He continued: “I firmly believe that our city makes the most progress when we all work together in a spirit of partnership.” “I remain extremely grateful to Mayor Lowry, the SFPD, and all of our partners, and I am fully committed to making San Francisco safer and stronger.”
His comments appear to mark a major political shift for the Salesforce CEO, who has previously supported liberal causes and backed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential race.
