Salesforce (NYSE:CRM) CEO Marc Benioff has apologized for comments he made last week suggesting that the Trump administration should send federal troops to San Francisco, where his company is headquartered.
In an interview with The New York Times, the tech billionaire said he supported the government’s moves to send the National Guard to Democrat-led cities, including San Francisco, where his company’s annual Dreamforce conference took place this week.
“We don’t have enough cops, so if they can be cops, I’m all for it,” Benioff noted, sparking backlash, including within his circle. The deployment of the National Guard to Portland, Oregon, and Chicago has caused protests and lawsuits, leading to arrests of undocumented migrants and U.S. citizens alike.
On Thursday, The Times reported that prominent venture capitalist Ron Conway, who backed companies such as Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) and Airbnb (ABNB), had stepped down from the Salesforce Foundation board over Benioff’s comments.
In an X post late Friday, he appeared to backtrack from his previous remarks. “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 said.
“My earlier comment came from an abundance of caution around the event, and I sincerely apologize for the concern it caused.”
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