Several local leaders in San Francisco said they are disappointed about comments made recently by both Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and X CEO Elon Musk, who indicated they would support President Donald Trump sending the National Guard to San Francisco.
Benioff’s comments were published in an article by The New York Times on Friday.
Benioff said of the National Guard in that interview, “We don’t have enough cops, so if they can be cops, I’m all for it.”
“I fully support the president,” Benioff told the Times. “I think he’s doing a great job.”
Musk now appears to be backing Benioff’s comments about bringing federal troops to San Francisco.
Over the weekend, Musk shared one post on X by another user who said, “I welcome the National Guard” while referencing San Francisco.
Musk also shared a post by well-known recovery advocate and formerly unhoused resident Tom Wolf, who suggested that most San Franciscans want federal intervention to address drug dealers in the city.
“It’s the only solution at this point. Nothing else has or will work,” Musk commented on the post.
Local leaders have been watching Benioff and Musk’s comments.
San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman said, “I think it’s pretty hard to take Elon Musk seriously at this point.”
However, he added, “I feel differently about Marc Benioff; he has, you know, been an incredible benefactor for San Francisco and has supported and continues to support a lot of important and good things in the city. “
“I am choosing to treat his remarks as an expression of frustration that a lot of San Franciscans share,” Mandelman said, adding, “I think his conclusion is completely wrong.”
San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who represents District 6, said on Sunday, “We don’t need the National Guard in San Francisco.”
“What we need is a fully staffed and fully resourced police department,” Dorsey said.
“There is a role to play, for Marc Benioff and Elon Musk, if they want to help San Francisco get there, both of them have my phone number, they should give me a call, I’ve got some ideas,” he continued, suggesting philanthropic donations could be used to support San Francisco’s public safety efforts.
Both Dorsey and Mandelman acknowledged that San Francisco’s police staffing numbers are about several hundred officers short of where they should be. They both agreed with Benioff on the point that the city needs more officers. But they noted the department has struggled to recruit new officers and faces a police force with many officers who are approaching retirement.
Dorsey and Mandelman both said they don’t believe the National Guard is equipped to respond to the policing and substance abuse work that is needed on the streets in the city.
“Candidly, I am very disappointed in Salesforce and Marc Benioff with their statement. I think this is something that’s a real disservice to our city, I thought it was insulting to the work that Mayor [Daniel] Lurie is trying to do, and those of us who are really fighting for public safety,” Dorsey continued.
Dorsey said he was invited to Salesforce’s Dreamforce conference, which is happening this week, but after Benioff’s comments, he is not planning to attend.
“I will not be going to any Salesforce event, unless we see this walked back, and maybe you know some kind of commitment to a partnership on public safety that’s going to make a difference for our city,” Dorsey explained.
Supervisor Jackie Fielder, who represents San Francisco’s District 9, posted on social media, condemning Benioff’s statement to the Times and calling it “incredibly dangerous.”
“Dreamforce is coming up and many of us city officials were invited by Salesforce. I will absolutely be boycotting,” Fielder wrote.
“I think these comments from Benioff are gonna make it hard for any local elected official to be showing up this week when we have so many people on edge about an impending federal invasion,” Mandelman noted.
There is no indication that the National Guard will be headed to San Francisco this week.
On Sunday, Benioff made a long post on X, seeming to address both the upcoming Dreamforce conference and his recent comments to the Times.
“Keeping San Francisco safe is, first and foremost, the responsibility of our city and state leaders,” Benioff wrote, commending Lurie for his work to address staffing shortages in the city’s police department.
“When I was recently asked about federal resources, my point was this: each year, to make Dreamforce as safe as possible for 50,000 attendees, we add 200 additional law-enforcement professionals — coordinated across city, state, and other partners,” Benioff wrote.
“It’s proof that collaboration works and a reminder that the city needs more resources to keep San Franciscans safe year-round,” he said.
Benioff added that Salesforce will be providing an additional million dollars to support “larger hiring bonuses for new police officers.”
Dorsey told NBC Bay Area he is “grateful” to see this additional funding from Salesforce, and added, “We need real police officers, who are professionally trained and certified, who are sworn to protect and serve San Francisco.”
A spokesperson for Lurie did not address Benioff or Musk’s comments directly but pointed to declining crime numbers.
“We are moving in the right direction and will continue to prioritize safety and hiring while San Francisco law enforcement works every single day to keep our city safe,” the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins and other local leaders are planning to hold a press conference later this week to denounce calls to bring the National Guard to the city.
Jenkins told NBC Bay Area on Friday, “We see the chaos going on in DC, we don’t need the chaos Donald Trump is spreading all over this country when our situation is under control here.”
Source: NBC Bay Area