Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff Walks Back Support for Trump’s National Guard Deployment in San Francisco
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Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff swiftly reversed course on Friday, retracting his previous suggestion that President Donald Trump deploy the National Guard to San Francisco. The tech executive’s initial comments ignited a firestorm of criticism, prompting a public apology adn a reassessment of his stance on the city’s safety concerns.
Dreamforce and Initial Support for Federal Intervention
Benioff’s reversal came after the conclusion of Dreamforce, Salesforce’s annual conference which drew tens of thousands of attendees to San Francisco this week. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Benioff stated, “Having listened closely to my fellow San Franciscans and our local officials, and after the largest and safest Dreamforce in our history, I do not believe the National guard is needed to address safety in San Francisco.” He added, “My earlier comment came from an abundance of caution around the event, and I sincerely apologize for the concern it caused.”
Just last week, Benioff told The New York Times that he supported Trump’s deployment of federal troops into Democrat-led cities, believing it could potentially alleviate crime in San Francisco. “We don’t have enough cops,so if they can be cops,I’m all for it,” he reportedly said to the Times. This position marked Benioff as the latest in a growing number of Bay Area tech billionaires appearing to align themselves with Trump.
Backlash and Board Resignation
The initial comments triggered a rapid and widespread backlash. Reports surfaced that prominent venture capitalist Ron Conway resigned from the Salesforce Foundation board in direct response to Benioff’s support for Trump’s policies. CNN has reached out to Salesforce for confirmation of Conway’s departure.
The controversy extends beyond the call for the National Guard. The New York Times reported on Thursday that internal documents reveal Salesforce actively pitched its services to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), offering tools to accelerate hiring and leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance investigations and deportation efforts. Specifically,the documents suggest Salesforce proposed ways to evaluate tips and improve ICE’s investigative capabilities.
Salesforce’s Government Contracts and Lack of Comment
Salesforce has not publicly responded to CNN’s requests for comment regarding the Times report. However,the company informed The New York Times that it has a history of serving the U.S.government.
Why: Marc Benioff initially supported deploying the National Guard to San Francisco, citing safety concerns, but reversed his position after public backlash and internal reflection. He also faced scrutiny for Salesforce’s pitches to ICE.
Who: Marc Benioff, CEO of salesforce, was the central figure. Other key players include donald Trump, Ron Conway (who resigned from the Salesforce Foundation board), and Immigration and customs Enforcement (ICE).
What: Benioff initially supported Trump’s potential deployment of the National Guard to San Francisco and Salesforce actively pitched services to ICE. He then retracted his support for the National Guard deployment and faced criticism for the ICE pitches.
How did it end?: Benioff publicly apologized and stated he no longer believed the National Guard was needed. Salesforce has not publicly commented on the ICE pitches, but acknowledged a history of working with the U.S. government. Ron Conway resigned from the Salesforce Foundation board.
