SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — After a week of controversy, that has at times threatened to overshadow his company’s trademark Dreamforce conference, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has apologized for his comments about deploying the National Guard to San Francisco. Benioff made the comments last week, speaking to The New York Times, telling the paper, “We don’t have enough cops, if they can be cops, I’m all for it.”
Backlash to Benioff’s comments was immediate with city leaders like Mayor Daniel Lurie and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins touting the city’s falling crime stats. Venture capitalist Ron Conway, one of Benioff’s longtime backers, abruptly withdrew from the Salesforce board over the remarks.
While Benioff at times tried to talk the comments back, he also sidestepped addressing them directly at a Dreamforce keynote.
Finally, on Friday, a full week from the initial remarks, the CEO issued an apology.
“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,” Benioff posted on X. “My earlier comments came from an abundance of caution around the event, and I sincerely apologize for the concern it caused.”
“It’s my belief that our city makes the most progress when we all work together in a spirit of partnership,” he continued. “I remain deeply grateful to Mayor Lurie, SFPD, and all our partners, and am fully committed to a safer, stronger San Francisco.”
Benioff is a native San Franciscan and Salesforce is the largest private employer in the city. However, for the past several years, he has lived primarily on the Big Island of Hawaii. On Wednesday, several days after Benioff had made his comments to the NYT, President Donald Trump said his administration would be “looking at San Francisco” for potential federal intervention.
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