San Francisco might be next on the list of cities where the Trump administration is deploying National Guard troops.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday indicated that he might send troops to San Francisco during a press conference with FBI Director Kash Patel.
From Politico:
President Donald Trump says he may send the National Guard to San Francisco in the next step in his campaign to deploy federal troops to American cities over the objections of local authorities.
Trump, speaking Wednesday at a news conference alongside FBI Director Kash Patel, called San Francisco “a mess” and said unspecified officials had requested troops for the city, though Gov. Gavin Newsom had noted earlier in the day that crime had dropped in the city, with homicides at a 70-year low.
“We have great support in San Francisco, so I would like to recommend that for inclusion, maybe in your next group,” Trump said.
California plans to defy any deployment, a Newsom spokeswoman, Diana Crofts-Pelayo, said in a statement that referenced the federal government shutdown and the president’s effort to find a way to fund, at least temporarily, military pay.
“California will resist any effort by Donald Trump to militarize another American city for his own vanity and deranged fantasies,” Crofts-Pelayo said. “California doesn’t want or need the National Guard to police its streets. In this state, we take care of our own communities — unlike Trump who can’t even pay the soldiers under his command.”
Trump claimed the city has become “a mess” and that some city officials have requested the intervention. Marc Benoiff, CEO of Salesforce, supports the move. During an interview with The New York Times, he said, “We don’t have enough cops, so if the National Guard can be cops, I’m all for it.”
Tech billionaire Mark Benioff calls for Trump to send National Guard to San Francisco: ‘I fully support the president’ https://t.co/zbKWRnIlR3 pic.twitter.com/cpV4ui8bnW
— New York Post (@nypost) October 12, 2025
In a Sunday post on X, Elon Musk said sending in the troops is “the only solution at this point” and that “nothing else has or will work.”
It’s the only solution at this point.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 12, 2025
Nothing else has or will work. https://t.co/4UuiYTZzjq
State and local officials have criticized the idea. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office pointed out that there have been no official requests for federal intervention, according to SFGate.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman said the city is “well equipped to manage the city’s public safety concerns.”
Trump has previously deployed the National Guard to Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Memphis, and other cities across the country in an effort to curb crime.
City officials report that crime in San Franciso has declined, with violent offenses dropping by 22 percent.