Elon Musk Supports Marc Benioff's Call for National Guard Deployment in San Francisco

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has publicly supported Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff's recent call for the deployment of National Guard troops to San Francisco to address the city's public safety challenges. Musk stated on X, "It's the only solution at this point. Nothing else has or will work."

Benioff's proposal, made during an interview with The New York Times, suggested that President Donald Trump should send the National Guard to assist with the city's police shortages. He remarked, "We don't have enough cops, so if they can be cops, I'm all for it."

The suggestion has been met with criticism from local officials. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins expressed opposition, stating, "We do not need the U.S. military, National Guard or otherwise, here in San Francisco. That would be illegal. It's completely unjustified."

Musk also revisited his criticism of Proposition C, a 2018 San Francisco ballot measure that imposed a tax on large corporations to fund homelessness services—a measure Benioff had championed. Musk commented, "Benioff needs to repeal the catastrophic Prop C that he pushed."

The debate underscores the ongoing tension between tech leaders and city officials over approaches to public safety and social services in San Francisco.