Marc Benioff says he wants Trump to send National Guard to San Francisco; mayor’s office responds

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s office responded Saturday to Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff’s saying that President Donald Trump should send the National Guard to The City.

The billionaire was recently quoted in The New York Times, saying that the federal troops could help reduce crime in the city. Benioff’s comments were made ahead of the Dreamforce 2025 convention, which is estimated to bring 50,000 people to downtown San Francisco next week.

“We don’t have enough cops, so if they can be cops, I’m all for it,” Benioff told The New York Times.

File: Marc Benioff, billionaire and co-chief executive officer of Salesforce.com Inc., during a panel session on day two of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 18, 2023. (Photographer: Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Lurie’s Press Secretary Charles Lutvak told KRON4 that The City’s crime is at its lowest in decades.

“Public safety is and has always been our administration’s number one priority,” Lutvak said in a statement. “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. And for the first time in nearly a decade, San Francisco is seeing net gains in both police officers and sheriff’s deputies. Crime is down nearly 30% citywide and at its lowest point in decades. 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.”

In his interview with The New York Times, Benioff said that he has to pay for 200 additional off-duty law enforcement officers to patrol downtown during the convention. On social media, he also praised Lurie and the City of San Francisco for working with him to hire more police.

“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,” he wrote on X.

However, the San Francisco native told The New York Times that the San Francisco Police Department needs another 1,000 officers on the force.

“You’ll see,” Benioff told The Times. “When you walk through San Francisco next week, there will be cops on every corner … that’s how it used to be.”

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