Mayor Daniel Lurie, who has refrained from calling out Trump directly, defended the city’s law enforcement when asked about Benioff’s comments during a press conference on Tuesday.
“I trust our local law enforcement,” Lurie said. “We are going to be relentless on keeping San Franciscans safe, keeping our tourists safe, and keeping those who come for conventions safe.”
Hours after the conference, Trump said San Francisco is on his list of cities that federal law enforcement should look to “next.”
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins told reporters that federal troops already deployed in cities like Chicago continue to “spiral out of control.”
“Tear gas is being deployed, assaults are happening. We just cannot afford to have what is happening [in Chicago] go on here,” Jenkins said. “It is not promoting law and order. It is NOT promoting safety. It is promoting chaos, terror and fear.”
Jenkins has largely dismissed police shooting cases locally. But the DA said she would “hold any law enforcement officer accountable, including ICE and anyone else, if they cross the bounds of the law, which includes using excessive force, harassing tactics, anything that I believe crosses the line.”
Attorney General Rob Bonta also told reporters this week he would challenge any National Guard deployment to San Francisco in court. In September, a judge ruled that Trump violated the law this summer when he sent troops to Los Angeles during protests against increasing Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and arrests. Other states, such as Illinois and Oregon, have also sued the Trump Administration over unsolicited deployments to major cities.
Lurie spoke to Benioff on Sunday after his conversation with the Times went viral. The Salesforce CEO attempted to clarify some of his comments in the following days, as the company’s flagship technology conference, called Dreamforce, took place downtown.
Benioff later said he was supporting public safety in San Francisco and wants to see an increase in policing. The National Guard cannot carry out local law enforcement duties, however. And it is common for companies to hire additional security to be brought in temporarily for massive events like Dreamforce, which brings in thousands of people.
Benioff’s message on Friday was more direct.
“My earlier comment came from an abundance of caution around the event, and I sincerely apologize for the concern it caused,” Benioff said. “It’s my firm belief that our city makes the most progress when we all work together in a spirit of partnership.”
The apology from Benioff, once considered among the more progressive tech executives, did not walk back his support for Trump.
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