Marc Benioff, Salesforce’s co-founder and CEO, seems to be retracting his statements regarding the National Guard’s presence in San Francisco.

“After attentively hearing from my fellow residents of San Francisco and our local leaders, and following the safest and largest Dreamforce ever, I believe the National Guard is unnecessary for ensuring safety in San Francisco,” Benioff stated on a post on X. “My previous remark stemmed from an excess of caution surrounding the event, and I sincerely apologize for any distress it caused.”

Benioff sparked controversy last week during an interview with The New York Times in which he voiced his backing for President Donald Trump’s threats to send National Guard troops to San Francisco and other Democratic-led cities.

While Benioff’s remarks were seemingly influenced by his worries about public safety expenses during the massive Dreamforce conference in San Francisco last week, the billionaire, who has historically leaned liberal, also took the opportunity to show support for Trump, saying at one point, “I fully support the president,” and remarking that Trump is “doing an excellent job.” (At the conclusion of the interview, he reportedly asked his startled PR representative, “Too spicy?”)

Furthermore, although Benioff’s pro-Trump views seem to align with a broader rightward trend among tech leaders, his suggestion for the National Guard’s involvement in San Francisco quickly resulted in backlash from long-time supporters and Democratic officials. Notably, prominent VC Ron Conway resigned from the board of the Salesforce Foundation, reportedly telling Benioff in an email, “I hardly recognize the individual I have admired for so long.” 

An event that was set to feature Benioff and San Francisco Mayor Dan Lurie was also canceled, with organizers stating that rain was the reason.

State Senator Scott Wiener, who represents San Francisco, informed Politico, “I appreciate that Marc has retracted his request for the National Guard to be deployed in San Francisco. Marc has contributed many positive things to our city — addressing numerous civic needs — and I’m pleased to observe this change.”

Trump has previously dispatched the National Guard to various cities including Washington, DC, and Chicago, while a judge has so far hindered his efforts to do the same in Portland. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, has consistently termed this an “invasion” of his state.