Trump credits Benioff, Huang for decision not to ‘surge’ Fed troops into San Francisco

In a surprising turn of events, President Trump initially considered deploying National Guard troops to San Francisco but ultimately decided against it following discussions with prominent figures from the tech sector. In a recent post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump revealed that industry leaders like Nvidia's Jensen Huang and Salesforce's Marc Benioff played a crucial role in persuading him to abandon the military operation. San Francisco's mayor, Daniel Lurie, confirmed the existence of a planned military intervention, although he refrained from specifying who had advised the President. Notably, Benioff's involvement is significant, especially considering his recent comments supporting Trump and advocating for National Guard presence in the city. This statement drew criticism, leading to the resignation of prominent venture capitalist Ron Conway from Salesforce's philanthropic board, who condemned both Benioff's remarks and the implications they carried. Shortly after the backlash, Benioff retracted his earlier stance, stating that following the success of Salesforce's recent tech conference, Dreamforce, he no longer believed that the National Guard was necessary for ensuring safety in San Francisco. This change of heart seems to have extended to his discussions with the White House. Looking ahead, Mayor Lurie is set to speak at TechCrunch Disrupt next week, where he is expected to provide further insights into how San Francisco, a hub for the AI industry, is working to enhance safety and address community concerns amidst these developments.