Benioff backs off: Salesforce chief says sorry for Trump troop talk
- Reference: 1760962905
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/10/20/benioff_national_guard_apology/
- Source link:
Benioff had already made an abrupt [1]volte-face on his controversial position, which attracted widespread condemnation from the US tech capital's establishment.
Going a step further following the SaaS CRM provider's Dreamforce event, Benioff said sorry for backing Trump's position on sending in troops.
[2]
In [3]a statement on Elon Musk-owned social media platform X, Benioff said: "Having listened closely to my fellow San Franciscans and our local officials, and after the largest and safest Dreamforce in our history, I do not believe the National Guard is needed to address safety in San Francisco. My earlier comment came from an abundance of caution around the event, and I sincerely apologize for the concern it caused."
[4]
[5]
The statement was a stark contrast to an interview given to the New York Times in which Benioff backed Trump's position of sending in troops to the Democrat-run West Coast cities. "I fully support the president," Benioff was reported as saying. "I think he's doing a great job."
Trump's stance prompted widespread criticism. SF district attorney Brooke Jekins wrote on X: "@KristiNoem and @realDonaldTrump have turned so-called public safety and immigration enforcement into a form of government sponsored violence against US citizens, families, and ethnic groups."
[6]
State Senator Scott Wiener wrote: "We neither need nor want an illegal military occupation in San Francisco."
[7]Salesforce's Benioff warns of AI 'false prophets' while promising true profits by 2030
[8]Salesforce pumps the dream of AI agents as helpers, not replacements
[9]Benioff retreats from idea of sending troops in to clean up San Francisco
[10]Salesforce users grumble after Agentforce AI replaces search on some help pages
[11]Later on X, Benioff said : "It's my firm belief that our city makes the most progress when we all work together in a spirit of partnership. I remain deeply grateful to Mayor Lurie, SFPD, and all our partners, and am fully committed to a safer, stronger San Francisco."
Benioff has previously held "progressive" positions on social issues, expressing support for [12]greater racial diversity in the tech workforce , in the context of the Black Lives Matter campaign, and a plan to [13]save a trillion trees to help combat climate change and bolster biodiversity.
Benioff was even reported to have his [14]own Hindu spiritual guru to help him achieve balance in life.
Maybe Benioff's apology is a heightened awareness of negative karma, but Silicon Valley publicist Sylvia Paull pointed out that the tech leader's position might have "hurt his sales."
[15]
In addition, she said his apology suggests he might be "afraid he's going to lose his legacy." ®
Get our [16]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/13/marc_benioffs_new_dream_force/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aPZcluVxZgoiFOedF3ykuQAAAI8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://x.com/Benioff/status/1979276817396830411
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aPZcluVxZgoiFOedF3ykuQAAAI8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aPZcluVxZgoiFOedF3ykuQAAAI8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aPZcluVxZgoiFOedF3ykuQAAAI8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/16/salesforce_benioff_false_prophets/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/15/salesforce_dreamforce_agents_everywhere/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/13/marc_benioffs_new_dream_force/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/01/salesforce_search_agentforce/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/13/marc_benioffs_new_dream_force/
[12] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/12/black-lives-matter-marc-benioff-facebook-twitter-uber
[13] https://www.weforum.org/stories/2020/01/one-trillion-trees-world-economic-forum-launches-plan-to-help-nature-and-the-climate/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2020/05/04/saleforce_benioff/
[15] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aPZcluVxZgoiFOedF3ykuQAAAI8&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[16] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
It is a bit like that isn’t it?
Offer unreserved support to the dictator dejour followed by a weaselly “I didn’t mean that. Honest guv’” as soon as he realised the possible impact on the share price
He’s hardly alone in this of course. It seems a good high percentage of US business is run by a bunch of shitty scummy amoral pond life.
Why limit it to US business? It's only more apparent over there due to limited legislation and a fucked political system.
"It seems a good high percentage of US business is run by a bunch of shitty scummy amoral pond life."
That almost counts as damning with faint praise.
That *is* the real Benioff. An amoral, self-serving corporate type who'll pander to whatever benefits him and his company most, and spin 180 degrees in a heartbeat if the audience and circumstances change.
Let's remember that Sam Bankman-Fried, who supposedly wanted to make money just to make the world a better place- then tried to use that to excuse his crimes- revealed he'd been donating equally to the US Republicans (i.e. hedging his political bets) and was reportedly planning a hard-pivot to right-wing anti-"woke" MAGA pandering in order to save his skin.
Never trust these types as far as you could throw them.
The very same Salesforce which decided that extorting a non-profit was a good idea and which only changed their tune when it created bad publicity for them.
[1]Slack threatened to delete nonprofit coding club’s data if it didn’t pay $50k in a week
If ever a Trumpism was appropriate: Benioff is a very bad person.
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/19/slack_nonprofit_license_hike_threat/
Maybe, in imitation of TACO we need the acronym BACO.
Person in public eye says what is thought to sound good in the moment and location.
And we're surprised?
Yeah, right.
When people tell you who they are, believe them.
Marc Benioff
I thought it was Gavin Belson.
I was forgetting who Salesforce's customers are. Sales people. Suddenly it makes sense.
> In addition, she said his apology suggests he might be "afraid he's going to lose his legacy."
...What fucking legacy? He thinks that 20 years after he dies, anyone will remember who he was? You run a large, mediocre SaaS company, dude. Not something that anyone outside of a small contingent of Silicon Valley and Wall Street dipshits cares about.
Will the real Benioff please stand up.