Elon Musk Backs Marc Benioff’s Call for Federal Troops in San Francisco Amid Rising Tensions Over City Safety

Billionaires clash over San Francisco’s crime crisis as Elon Musk calls the city a “drug zombie apocalypse” and Salesforce’s Marc Benioff scrambles to clarify his remarks ahead of Dreamforce.

Elon Musk has joined Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff in calling for federal troops to be deployed to San Francisco — even as Benioff sought to walk back his own comments amid growing controversy.

In a series of posts on X to his 227 million followers, Musk declared that bringing in federal forces would be “the only solution at this point,” arguing that “nothing else has or will work.” The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, who moved his headquarters to Texas but maintains major operations on the West Coast, slammed the city as a “drug zombie apocalypse.”

The comments came shortly after Benioff told The New York Times that deploying National Guard troops could help combat San Francisco’s crime issues. “We don’t have enough cops, so if they can be cops, I’m all for it,” he said in the interview published Friday.

Benioff’s remarks, however, ignited backlash ahead of Salesforce’s flagship Dreamforce conference — a three-day event expected to draw 50,000 visitors to the city. The billionaire, known for his liberal views and philanthropic efforts in San Francisco, appeared to soften his stance on Sunday, praising Mayor Daniel Lurie and writing on social media: “Keeping San Francisco safe is, first and foremost, the responsibility of our city and state leaders.”

Musk quickly responded, reiterating that local efforts have failed and that federal intervention is necessary. Despite his public feud with California politics, several of Musk’s companies — including Neuralink and his AI startup xAI — have expanded their presence in the Bay Area.

During his New York Times interview, Benioff, speaking aboard his private jet, lamented the high costs Salesforce incurs for security during Dreamforce, saying he personally funds hundreds of off-duty officers to patrol the event venue. He urged San Francisco to “re-fund the police,” proposing the city add 1,000 officers to its existing 1,500-strong force.

“You’ll see. When you walk through San Francisco next week, there will be cops on every corner,” he said. “That’s how it used to be.”

The debate comes as President Trump continues deploying National Guard troops to cities including Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Memphis — moves that have sparked protests and legal challenges from local officials.

Meanwhile, Mayor Lurie defended the city’s progress, noting on X that “crime is down 30% and tent encampments are at an all-time low.”

“This is what a world-class city looks like, and it all starts with public safety,” he wrote. “San Francisco is on the rise.”

As Dreamforce kicks off, San Francisco finds itself at the intersection of politics, business, and public safety — a reflection of the city’s ongoing struggle to balance its tech-fueled prosperity with the realities on its streets.