Elon Musk has joined Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff in advocating for federal troops to be sent to San Francisco, even as Benioff tried to downplay his earlier remarks.
In multiple posts on X to his 227 million followers, Musk stated that while he has relocated both his home and Tesla’s headquarters to Texas, he still manages operations on the West Coast. He suggested that sending federal authorities to the city might be “probably the only solution at this point,” arguing that “nothing else works, or doesn’t work.”
The wealthiest person in the world went so far as to call the situation in San Francisco a “drug zombie apocalypse.”
This statement followed Benioff’s declaration on Sunday, where he mentioned that the National Guard could be beneficial in addressing crime in the area.
He stated, “We don’t have enough police officers, so if they can become police officers, I’m all for it,” during an interview with the New York Times published Friday.
Known for his liberal views and significant investments in San Francisco, Benioff’s comments took a surprising turn as he expressed support for President Trump and the recent controversial troop deployments.
Since over the summer, President Trump has sent the National Guard to Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Memphis, triggering protests and lawsuits from local Democratic leaders.
While most troops have been withdrawn from Los Angeles, Trump has indicated he plans to send federal forces to Portland and Chicago as well.
Benioff’s remarks, particularly as Salesforce gears up to host about 50,000 attendees for its annual Dreamforce conference, faced immediate backlash.
Initially, Benioff attempted to retract his statement, highlighting the responsibility of local leaders like San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie in ensuring community safety.
In response, Musk quickly argued that federal troops are necessary for addressing crime in the city.
Notably, Musk’s companies maintain close connections to San Francisco. His AI firm, xAI, has a significant office in the area, and Neuralink recently signed a major lease there.
Despite Tesla’s technical headquarters still being in Palo Alto, Musk insists on the need for a stronger federal presence to combat violence.
Representatives from both Musk and Benioff’s companies have not responded to inquiries about the situation.
In a recent conversation on a private flight to San Francisco, Benioff expressed frustration about covering salaries for hundreds of off-duty employees working at the Moscone Center during Dreamforce. He mentioned that the city needs to “refund” the police department to improve its recruiting efforts.
Additionally, he suggested that San Francisco should increase its police force from roughly 1,500 officers by about 1,000.
Benioff remarked, “If you walk through San Francisco next week, you’ll see police everywhere. That’s how it used to be.”
Interestingly, while he identifies as a “fourth-generation San Franciscan,” he has mostly lived in Hawaii since the pandemic, according to reports.
In a counter to the criticisms, Mayor Lurie stated on social media that crime is down 30%, and tent encampments are at record lows. He didn’t address Benioff’s comments or the upcoming conference but noted that thousands visit the city for various events, asserting, “This is what a world-class city looks like, and it all starts with public safety.”
