Tech leaders Elon Musk and Marc Benioff have drawn attention with critical remarks about the state of San Francisco, igniting controversy among the city’s Democratic officials. The debate intensified after Benioff expressed support for President Donald Trump’s proposal to deploy the National Guard to the city to address rising crime rates.
🏙️ Musk and Benioff Critique San Francisco
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff described San Francisco as facing serious challenges, stating that the city suffers from a shortage of police officers and endorsing Trump’s idea of sending federal troops to assist with law enforcement. “We don’t have enough cops, so if they can be cops, I’m all for it,” Benioff told The New York Times.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk chimed in with his own stark assessment, describing downtown San Francisco as a “drug zombie apocalypse”, echoing concerns about crime and urban decay.
Benioff also praised Musk’s DOGE initiative aimed at reducing federal spending and highlighted David Sacks, another San Francisco tech figure and advisor to Trump, as part of the broader discussion on reforming city governance.
⚡ Trump’s Proposal and Political Backlash
President Trump had suggested in August 2025 that federal troops might be sent to San Francisco, listing it among Democratic-led cities he claimed were “destroyed” under local leadership. Benioff publicly supported this controversial stance, advocating that Guard soldiers could help restore public safety.
San Francisco’s Democratic officials responded sharply. Assemblyman Matt Haney criticized Benioff, stating, “You can’t support San Francisco and want to see us invaded. It’s quite another thing to support a direct assault and occupation of our city.”
The comments from Musk and Benioff have sparked debate over the city’s law enforcement, urban challenges, and the role of federal intervention, highlighting the tensions between tech elites and local policymakers in San Francisco.
