SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — President Donald Trump was preparing for a show of federal force in San Francisco, a city he has criticized as everything is wrong with the liberal government. Then conversations with some of the Bay Area’s most prominent tech leaders and the mayor changed his mind.
“I got a great call from incredible people, some friends of mine, very successful people,” Trump told reporters Thursday at the White House, referring specifically to Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, one of the world’s most valuable technology companies, and Marc Benioff, CEO of software company Salesforce.
He said he was told San Francisco was working hard to reduce crime. “So we’re all delaying that increase. And we’ll let them see if they can do it,” Trump said. He said he might change his mind if “it doesn’t work out.”
Trump said the increase in federal force had been planned for Saturday. He did not specify whether he was referring only to National Guard troops, which he had threatened to send, or whether he would also stop a possible increase in immigration enforcement. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents arrived at a U.S. Coast Guard base near the city Thursday morning, drawing protesters.
A careful approach to Trump
The approach of the billionaire CEOs clearly influenced Trump’s rare pardon for a Democratic-led city. But Trump also gave credit to Mayor Daniel Lurie, who has worked to avoid a direct confrontation with the Republican president since the two took office in January. Lurie has governed as a serious and relentless cheerleader for San Francisco, repeatedly refusing to intervene in national politics or mention Trump’s name.
Instead, it focuses on local issues: public safety, attracting businesses and reversing the city’s pandemic-driven decline. When Trump repeatedly said earlier this week that he would send the National Guard to San Francisco to quell crime, Lurie noted that overall crime is down 26% compared to last year and that car thefts are at their lowest level in 22 years.
“I told the mayor: I love what you’re doing, I respect it, and I respect the people who do it,” Trump said, referencing a phone call the two had on Wednesday.
Heir to the Levi Strauss fortune and an anti-poverty philanthropist, Lurie is a centrist Democrat who had never held office until he unseated then-Mayor London Breed in last November’s election. He has expressed no political aspirations other than improving the city and has said he will work with anyone who wants to do the same.
“I told him the same thing I told our residents,” Lurie said at a news conference Thursday afternoon to address his call with the president. “San Francisco is on the rise. Visitors are returning, buildings are being rented and bought, and workers are returning to the office.”
Lurie said he told Trump that he welcomes the city’s “continued partnership” with the Drug Enforcement Administration and other federal authorities to get illegal narcotics off the streets and contribute to falling crime rates in San Francisco. Fentanyl has been a major scourge on the city’s streets.
“But having militarized military and immigration forces in our city will hinder our recovery,” Lurie said.
City reacts with praise and skepticism
Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, praised Lurie on social media, saying he “has demonstrated exceptional leadership.” Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors, called him an “absolute superstar” responsible for the good things happening in San Francisco.
The office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, the former mayor of San Francisco, said on X that “Trump has finally, for once, listened to reason.” Newsom, for his part, has repeatedly clashed with Trump, particularly after Trump deployed the California National Guard to Los Angeles against Newsom’s wishes.
But others are skeptical that Trump will keep his word. In fact, Trump said he was giving Lurie “a chance” to turn things around and said the federal government could “take out criminals” much faster.
“We can’t trust Trump,” said San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan, a progressive who runs politically to the left of Lurie but who has a good working relationship with the mayor.
San Francisco Supervisor Jackie Fielder, who is also more politically liberal than Lurie, said in a statement that she disagrees with Lurie’s desire to coordinate more with federal authorities, saying “it is a dangerous invitation to a fascist administration.”
CEOs call
Trump said he received “four or five calls” from business leaders urging him not to send in federal forces and to allow municipal leaders to continue working to reduce crime.
“They are the greatest people in the world, a lot of high-tech people,” he said at the White House. “They want to do it. And I said, ‘I’m very honored to let you do it. And if it doesn’t work out, we’ll do it for you very quickly.'”
Salesforce’s Benioff, who also owns Time magazine, told the New York Times earlier this month that he would welcome Guard troops to help quell crime ahead of his major annual business conference. He quickly faced backlash and later apologized, saying the troops were not necessary. He confirmed to The Associated Press that he spoke with Trump but did not provide further details. Nvidia declined to comment.
In announcing his decision to reverse the surge, Trump did not mention other Bay Area cities, including Oakland, where he also threatened to send federal troops.
Some other Democrats who have also taken a less combative approach toward Trump have avoided his attention as he deploys Civil Guard troops across the country. For example, he has not focused on Detroit despite criticism of the city. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has sought to collaborate with Trump, including visits to the White House.
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Associated Press writer Mike Liedtke contributed.