Imagine a tech titan like Elon Musk throwing his weight behind a radical idea: deploying federal troops to clean up the streets of San Francisco. It's a bold move that hits at the heart of America's deepest divides—between innovation and chaos, liberalism and law and order. As someone who's covered these tech moguls for years, I can tell you this isn't just another tweet; it's a spark that could ignite bigger debates about who controls our cities. But here's where it gets intriguing—let's dive into the details and see how this all unfolded.
Elon Musk, the visionary behind Tesla and SpaceX, recently voiced strong support for Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff's plea to send federal forces into San Francisco. This bay city has become a flashpoint in President Donald Trump's push to deploy the National Guard to Democrat-run urban areas, highlighting tensions over crime, addiction, and governance. In a tweet posted on Sunday, Musk declared, 'It’s the only solution at this point. Nothing else has or will work.' It's a statement that cuts through the noise, suggesting that local efforts simply aren't cutting it anymore.
To understand Musk's stance, we need to look at what prompted it. His endorsement was in direct response to a post by T. Wolf, a recovery advocate and someone who's lived through the hardships of homelessness in the city. Wolf shared alarming statistics: over 4,300 overdose deaths since 2020, and the seizure of 90 kilograms of fentanyl by the San Francisco Police Department in just the last year. He pointed to a survey from March 2025 conducted by the conservative group Voice of San Francisco, which revealed that 61% of voters back federal action to deport undocumented drug dealers. If you include those who somewhat agree, that number jumps to a whopping 83%. 'Pretty much 80% of San Francisco wants federal intervention on deporting drug dealers,' Wolf wrote. 'That’s how insane it’s been here.' This data paints a picture of a community at its breaking point, frustrated with policies perceived as too lenient on fentanyl traffickers and the crimes tied to addiction.
The Voice of San Francisco described this survey as evidence of 'collective exasperation' with local approaches, arguing that even in a famously compassionate city, there's a limit to tolerance. It's a reminder that public opinion can shift dramatically when personal safety feels threatened. For beginners exploring urban policy, think of it like this: Imagine a neighborhood where everyone knows the rules, but some feel the enforcement isn't strong enough. That's the exasperation brewing here, and it underscores why Musk might see federal troops as a necessary fix.
But here's where it gets controversial—Musk didn't stop at just agreeing with Benioff. He reignited an old feud over Proposition C, the 2018 tax initiative that funneled millions from big corporations to homelessness programs in San Francisco. On Saturday night, Musk tweeted, 'Benioff needs to repeal the catastrophic Prop C that he pushed,' referencing the over $7 million Benioff personally invested in it. For years, these two tech giants have been at odds: Musk insists Prop C burdens the city's economy, while Benioff sees it as a ethical duty to aid the most vulnerable. This fresh attack paved the way for Musk's surprising alliance with Benioff, despite their history of public spats. It's like watching old rivals team up against a common enemy—perhaps signaling that personal beefs can take a backseat when bigger issues loom.
Musk's comments echoed Benioff's own provocative statements from a New York Times interview on Friday, where the Salesforce CEO urged Trump to send the National Guard to San Francisco to 'refund the police.' 'We don’t have enough cops, so if they can be cops, I’m all for it,' Benioff said, speaking from his private jet. This idea of using soldiers as temporary law enforcers sparked immediate outrage from California Democrats and city officials, who viewed it as an overreach. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins blasted it as turning safety into 'government-sponsored violence,' and state Sen. Scott Wiener called it 'the opposite' of what San Francisco truly needs. For those new to these debates, 'refunding the police' might sound practical, but critics argue it blurs lines between military and civilian roles, potentially escalating tensions in a diverse city.
Benioff, whose company's massive Dreamforce conference kicks off Tuesday at the Moscone Center, has threatened to move it out of San Francisco due to crime concerns but reaffirmed his loyalty last year. Once a big liberal supporter, he's now cozying up to Trump and other Silicon Valley elites aiming for better White House ties. In fact, earlier this fall, over two dozen tech leaders attended a private White House dinner, showing a new era of cooperation between the tech world and the administration. And this is the part most people miss—figures like Apple's Tim Cook, OpenAI's Sam Altman, and Meta's Mark Zuckerberg are all working to stay on good terms, even as political winds shift.
This all comes amid Trump's efforts to send troops to other blue cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., which have faced legal hurdles. Federal judges have blocked several such deployments, citing the Posse Comitatus Act—a law that forbids using the military for domestic policing. It's a safeguard designed to prevent the army from intervening in everyday law enforcement, but debates rage over whether extreme situations warrant exceptions. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie's team pushes back, highlighting a 30% citywide crime drop and the lowest rates in decades. A July analysis from the San Francisco Chronicle noted 19% fewer violent crimes and 25% less property crime in the first half of 2025, building on prior year reductions.
Yet, the fentanyl crisis lingers, claiming thousands of lives despite the broader crime decline. This clash between calls for tougher measures and warnings of federal intrusion exposes San Francisco's deep political and cultural rifts. For Musk, this marks another foray into conservative activism—recently, he's urged boycotts of Netflix over a transgender character while expanding his Neuralink work back into the Bay Area. Whether Trump actually sends troops remains up in the air, given the legal barriers.
And this is where you come in—does Musk's support signal a turning point for tech leaders in tackling urban crises? Is federal intervention the answer, or does it risk militarizing our cities? What if Benioff's idea, though well-meaning, sets a dangerous precedent? Share your opinions in the comments—do you agree with the troop call, or see it as a step too far? Let's discuss!
October 12, 2025
Aidin Vaziri, Staff Writer for The San Francisco Chronicle
