Salesforce CEO Apologizes for National Guard Comment on San Francisco
▼ Summary
– Marc Benioff retracted his earlier support for deploying the National Guard in San Francisco, stating it is not needed after Dreamforce concluded safely.
– He had previously endorsed President Trump’s threats to send the National Guard to cities led by Democrats, citing public safety concerns for the Dreamforce conference.
– Benioff’s pro-Trump comments and National Guard stance caused backlash, including VC Ron Conway resigning from the Salesforce Foundation board.
– An event with San Francisco Mayor Dan Lurie was canceled, and State Senator Scott Wiener expressed gratitude for Benioff’s retraction.
– Trump has deployed the National Guard in other cities like Washington, DC and Chicago, but faced legal blocks in Portland and criticism from Illinois Governor Pritzker.
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has issued a public apology after facing significant backlash for his earlier remarks endorsing the deployment of the National Guard in San Francisco. In a recent post on the social media platform X, Benioff stated that he no longer believes such a military presence is necessary for the city’s safety. He explained that his initial comment stemmed from an overabundance of caution surrounding the company’s large Dreamforce conference, and he expressed sincere regret for the worry his statement generated.
The controversy erupted last week following an interview Benioff gave to The New York Times. During that conversation, the Salesforce co-founder voiced his support for former President Donald Trump’s threats to send National Guard troops into San Francisco and other cities with Democratic leadership. While his primary concern appeared to be public safety costs for the Dreamforce event, the billionaire, who has historically leaned liberal, also used the platform to praise Trump, asserting, “I fully support the president,” and commending him for “doing a great job.” Reports from the interview noted that Benioff later asked his public relations representative, “Too spicy?”, seemingly aware of the provocative nature of his comments.
This apparent political alignment with a rightward shift among some tech executives quickly resulted in serious consequences. Longtime ally and prominent venture capitalist Ron Conway resigned from the board of the Salesforce Foundation, reportedly telling Benioff in an email that he barely recognized the person he had long admired. The fallout continued as a scheduled event featuring Benioff and San Francisco Mayor Dan Lurie was canceled, with organizers attributing the cancellation to rain.
The swift pushback from political figures and associates prompted Benioff to reconsider his position. State Senator Scott Wiener, who represents San Francisco, told Politico he was grateful that Benioff walked back his call for the National Guard. Wiener acknowledged Benioff’s many contributions to the city and expressed relief at seeing this shift in stance.
The situation occurs against a backdrop of Trump having already deployed the National Guard in other cities like Washington, D.C., and Chicago. A judge has so far blocked similar attempts in Portland. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, has repeatedly characterized these deployments as an “invasion” of his state.
(Source: TechCrunch)
