After a weeklong media storm, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff on Friday apologized for comments he made last week supporting sending National Guard troops to San Francisco.
Conway, who has donated millions of dollars to moderate Democratic candidates in San Francisco elections, said in his resignation email that recent comments from the Salesforce CEO led to his decision, according to The New York Times.
Trump, this year, has deployed the National Guard to Democratic strongholds like Portland, Oregon, and Chicago.
Benioff later said he was supporting public safety in San Francisco and wants to see an increase in policing.
The National Guard cannot carry out local law enforcement duties, however.
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff issued an apology on Friday following a week-long media frenzy for remarks he made last week endorsing the deployment of National Guard troops to San Francisco.
In a post on the social media site X, Benioff stated, “After the largest and safest Dreamforce in our history, and after listening carefully to my fellow San Franciscans and our local officials, I do not believe the National Guard is needed to address safety in San Francisco.”.
One day after venture capitalist Ron Conway announced he was stepping down from the board of Salesforce’s philanthropic arm after almost ten years, the apology was made.
In his email of resignation, Conway, who has contributed millions of dollars to moderate Democratic candidates in San Francisco elections, stated that his decision was prompted by recent remarks made by the Salesforce CEO, as reported by The New York Times.
“In recent days, I have repeatedly and honestly told you that I am shocked and disappointed by your remarks advocating for an unwelcome federal troop invasion of San Francisco,” he wrote in the email, “as well as by your deliberate ignorance and disengagement from the effects of the ICE immigration raids on families with no criminal history.”. “.”.
Benioff had earlier called for San Francisco to “refund” the police department and told the New York Times that he backed President Donald Trump’s efforts to send the National Guard to the city.
Trump has sent the National Guard to Democratic bastions like Chicago and Portland, Oregon, this year.
Despite having several hundred fewer officers than the city recommends, San Francisco has never cut police funding, and the department’s budget has grown despite the city’s significant budget deficit this year, which forced cuts to other city agencies.
Benioff’s remarks were swiftly rebutted by city officials, who noted that crime has dropped by almost 30% in the past 12 months.
When asked about Benioff’s remarks at a press conference on Tuesday, Mayor Daniel Lurie, who has avoided criticizing Trump directly, defended the city’s police force.
“I have faith in the local police,” Lurie remarked. “We will do everything in our power to ensure the safety of San Franciscans, visitors, and convention attendees. “”.
Trump stated that San Francisco is on his list of cities that federal law enforcement should target “next” hours after the conference. “”.
“Federal troops already deployed in cities like Chicago continue to spiral out of control,” District Attorney Brooke Jenkins told reporters. “”.
For the most part, Jenkins has disregarded local police shooting cases. The district attorney, however, declared that she would “hold any law enforcement officer accountable, including ICE and anyone else, if they cross the bounds of the law, which includes using excessive force, harassing tactics, anything that I believe crosses the line.”. “”.
Speaking to reporters this week, Attorney General Rob Bonta also stated that he would take any National Guard deployment to San Francisco to court. A judge found in September that Trump had broken the law this summer when he dispatched troops to Los Angeles amid demonstrations against the rise in arrests and raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Trump Administration has been sued by other states, including Illinois and Oregon, for sending people to big cities without permission.
After Benioff’s interview with the Times went viral, Lurie spoke with him on Sunday. Over the next few days, as Salesforce’s premier technology conference, Dreamforce, was held downtown, the CEO of the company made an effort to elucidate some of his remarks.
Later, Benioff declared his support for San Francisco’s public safety and his desire to see more police officers on the streets. However, local law enforcement functions cannot be performed by the National Guard. Additionally, businesses frequently temporarily hire more security for large events like Dreamforce, which draw thousands of attendees.
On Friday, Benioff delivered a more straightforward message.
“I truly apologize for the concern it caused, and my earlier comment was the result of excessive caution surrounding the event,” Benioff said. In my opinion, our city advances most effectively when everyone collaborates in a partnership-based manner. “.”.
Benioff, who was formerly regarded as one of the more progressive tech executives, did not retract his support for Trump after he apologized.
