Trump Credits Benioff, Huang for Avoiding Troop Surge in San Francisco

Former President Trump’s Planned San Francisco Intervention

Former President Trump revealed that he had contemplated deploying National Guard troops to San Francisco in a large-scale operation. However, he ultimately decided against this course of action following discussions with prominent figures.

Tech Leaders Intervene

According to a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff were instrumental in persuading him to reconsider the plan. Both tech industry leaders reportedly contacted the former president to voice their concerns.

Confirmation from San Francisco’s Mayor

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie corroborated the existence of the planned military operation in an official statement. While he refrained from identifying the individuals who engaged in dialogue with the former president, he confirmed the operation was ultimately cancelled.

Benioff’s Shifting Stance

Marc Benioff’s involvement is particularly noteworthy given his recent public statements. Prior to Salesforce’s large tech conference held in San Francisco, Benioff expressed support for Trump and suggested deploying National Guard troops to patrol the city’s streets.

This position prompted venture capital investor Ron Conway to resign from his position on Salesforce’s philanthropic foundation. Conway publicly criticized both Benioff’s comments and his friend’s stance on the matter.

A Public Apology and Further Action

Benioff swiftly issued an apology and retracted his call for National Guard patrols. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) earlier this month, he stated, “… after the largest and safest Dreamforce in our history, I do not believe the National Guard is needed to address safety in San Francisco.”

It appears the CEO further reinforced this position by directly appealing to the White House to abandon the proposed intervention.

Looking Ahead

Mayor Lurie is scheduled to speak at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco next week. It is anticipated that he may provide further details regarding the city’s efforts to enhance safety and successfully de-escalate the situation, particularly as a central hub for the AI industry.