Benioff says he'd support National Guard in San Francisco ahead of Dreamforce: report
Benioff's endorsement of National Guard in SF may be sign of trend
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff told the New York Times on Friday that if the president deployed the National Guard in San Francisco, he'd be OK with it. We spoke with the Times SF bureau chief who says this sentiment may be part of a greater trend when it comes to tech and Trump.
SAN FRANCISCO - As the countdown to San Francisco's signature tech event is on, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff told the New York Times in an interview published on Friday that he'd welcome National Guard troops in the city if President Trump decided to deploy them.
What we know:
In the article, Benioff was critical of having to pay for hundreds of off-duty police officers to patrol the area in and around Moscone Center. That's where streets are closed off for the annual Dreamforce conference. The big event kicks off next Tuesday.
When asked about sending in the troops, Benioff told the paper, "We don't have enough cops, so if they can be cops, I'm all for it."
Shortly after the article's publication, Benioff posted on X (formerly Twitter): "We’re partnering with the city to hire 200 additional trained law enforcement professionals for Dreamforce. I’m deeply grateful to Daniel Lurie for his partnership and steadfast commitment to hiring more police, improving public safety, and building a stronger, more welcoming San Francisco."
Benioff says he'd support National Guard in San Francisco ahead of Dreamforce: report
As the countdown to San Francisco's signature tech event is on, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff told the New York Times in an interview published on Friday that he'd welcome National Guard troops in the city if President Trump decided to deploy them.
The other side:
We reached out to San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie's office for comment on what Benioff had to say. A spokesperson for the mayor said public safety has always been the Lurie administration's priority.
"Mayor Lurie launched his Rebuilding the Ranks plan in May to bring our police staffing up to the expert-recommended goal of 2,000 officers," mayor's office spokesperson Charles Lutvak said.
He continued that, for the first time in decades, the city is seeing net gains in staffing both the police and sheriff's department with officers and deputies.
Marc Benioff, co-chief executive officer of Salesforce.com Inc., speaks during a Bloomberg Television interview at the 2022 Dreamforce conference in San Francisco, California, US, on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. Benioff shared his excitement over data i
"Crime is down nearly 30% citywide and at its lowest point in decades," Lutvak said.
Other city officials aren't taking too kindly to Benioff's latest stance.
District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who represents the South of Market neighborhood that includes the Moscone Center and other parts of where Dreamforce is held, posted on social media that Benioff's remarks were a "slap in the face to San Francisco."
"It's insulting to our cops, and it's honestly galling to those of us who've been fighting hard over the last few years to fully staff our SFPD," Dorsey wrote.
The city supervisor continued to say that he appreciated Benioff's donation of $50,000 for a proposition charter amendment that would have increased police staffing, but that it was essentially too little too late as the measure didn't pass.
"We don't NEED the National Guard here in San Francisco," Dorsey wrote in his post. "We need better political allies who are genuinely committed to public safety and serious about solving San Francisco's problems competently, the right way – and not performatively, the Trump way."
San Francisco's District Attorney Brooke Jenkins also took issue with the idea of the National Guard coming to San Francisco. She posted a lengthy thread to social media where she called out Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and President Trump directly on their "so-called public safety and immigration enforcement" campaign, something she said was a form of "government sponsored violence against U.S. citizens, families and ethnic groups."
"Let me be clear," Jenkins posted. "If you come to San Francisco and illegally harass our residents, use excessive force or cross any other boundaries that the law proscribes, I will not hesitate to do my job and hold you accountable just like I do other violators of the law every single day."
Benioff says he'd support National Guard in San Francisco
In an interview with the New York Times, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said he'd support National Guard troops in San Francisco if President Trump deployed them. We spoke with San Francisco Bureau Chief from the New York Times, Heather Knight, to see how that interview for the paper went.
The backstory:
Last year, Benioff, the company CEO and co-founder, committed to holding Dreamforce in San Francisco through 2027. Last year's event attracted some 45,000 attendees, slightly up from its annual attendance average. The event generates $90 million in revenue annually.
Last month, Salesforce made headlines when Benioff said the company cut 4,000 jobs in customer support due to artificial intelligence. This downsizing was characterized as a "re-balance."
The Times notes Benioff had previously supported Hillary Clinton and a business tax for homeless services. NYT's San Francisco Bureau Chief Heather Knight, who interviewed Benioff, said he has historically been known as a "progressive, big-hearted billionaire," but in this interview he told her he wanted a, "cop on every corner."
The San Francisco Police Department is at about 1,500 officers, whereas the mayor's goal is to have 2,000 officers. In conversation with Knight, Benioff said he would like to see 2,500 officers.
President Trump's National Guard troop deployments have hit roadblocks as judges have halted his deployments in Portland and Chicago. The use of troops in Los Angeles was ruled illegal by another judge.
According to this week's Bloomberg's Billionaire's Index, Benioff's net worth is $10.2 billion.
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