Trump says looking at San Francisco as next target for National Guard

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that San Francisco could be the next city to receive a National Guard deployment, a move that appears partly inspired by comments from Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.

“We have great support in San Francisco, so I would like to recommend that for inclusion, maybe in your next group,” Trump said during a press conference alongside FBI Director Kash Patel. He noted that the Guard could be sent to Northern California “at the request of government officials.” If carried out, it would mark the second time Trump has ordered troops into a California city, following the June deployment to Los Angeles during protests over federal immigration raids — a decision made over Governor Gavin Newsom’s objections.

Benioff had recently told The New York Times he was “all for” National Guard troops being deployed to San Francisco to combat crime, though it remains unclear who, if anyone, has formally requested federal involvement. Newsom’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment but earlier in the day released a statement touting “significant updates to public safety efforts in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area,” seemingly addressing Benioff’s public safety concerns.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, who previously called public safety his “number one priority,” has also cited declining crime rates in response to Benioff’s push. Trump’s comments came as Salesforce’s annual Dreamforce conference was underway in the city, drawing major tech and political figures. Benioff, asked about the Guard deployment, said he would “limit [his] comments to Dreamforce.” Both Benioff and Lurie canceled a planned joint press conference earlier this week, while Newsom — a past Dreamforce regular — did not attend this year’s event.