Elon Musk has backed Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff’s call for federal troops to be deployed to San Francisco. This city has become a focal point in President Donald Trump’s campaign to send the National Guard to Democratic-led cities. Musk expressed his support on Sunday, stating on his platform X, “It’s the only solution at this point. Nothing else has or will work.”
Benioff initially suggested federal intervention during an interview with The New York Times, citing a shortage of police officers in the city. However, he later softened his stance, emphasizing that safety is primarily the responsibility of city and state leaders. Despite this, Musk reiterated the need for federal action, describing downtown San Francisco as a “drug zombie apocalypse” and sharing a post from Tom Wolf, a local advocate for addiction recovery, who argued that removing organized drug dealers would significantly reduce crime.
The idea of deploying federal troops has faced significant opposition from local officials. San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins criticized the proposal, accusing President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of using public safety as a means of government-sponsored violence. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie highlighted the city’s declining crime rates and increased police hiring, asserting that San Francisco is “on the rise.”
Benioff’s comments have sparked a heated debate, with some tech leaders like Garry Tan, CEO of Y Combinator, opposing the need for the National Guard. Tan instead called for changes in the judicial system to address crime. As San Francisco prepares for the annual Dreamforce conference, which brings tens of thousands of visitors to the city, the discussion around public safety and federal intervention remains a contentious issue.
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