Trump eyes San Francisco as next target for federal takeover

WASHINGTON (CN) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would instruct federal law enforcement to target San Francisco as his administration looks to expand its multicity crackdown.

The president’s announcement comes just days after a prominent tech CEO made — and later moderated — comments that appeared to invite a National Guard deployment to the West Coast city.

In remarks at the White House on Wednesday afternoon, Trump said he was “strongly recommending” a federal surge into San Francisco. “There’s one of our great cities, 10 years ago, 15 years ago — and now it’s a mess,” he told FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi. “So I’d like to recommend that for inclusion, maybe in your next group. You’d get great support.”

The Trump administration, for months, has pushed the boundaries of federal law as it cracks down on immigration and campaigns against what the president has framed as out-of-control crime in cities across the country. In addition to its federal takeover of Washington, D.C., the White House has attempted to take control of National Guard units in California and Oregon — and has sent Texas National Guard troops to Chicago in an unprecedented move.

Trump has floated several other cities, including Baltimore and Boston, for federal intervention. A deployment to San Francisco was a new prospect but one that has already been backed by wealthy business executives.

Salesforce Marc Benioff told The New York Times last week that he thought that the president should send the National Guard to the Bay Area. He noted that his company was paying for off-duty police officers to work in the city ahead of Dreamforce, Salesforce’s annual conference.

“We don’t have enough cops, so if they can be cops, I’m all for it,” said Benioff.

The billionaire, however, later moderated his comments, writing in a Sunday post on X that law enforcement in San Francisco was “first and foremost” the responsibility of leaders at the local and state levels.

“When I was recently asked about federal resources, my point was this: Each year, to make Dreamforce as safe as possible for 50,000 attendees, we add 200 additional law-enforcement professionals — coordinated across city, state and other partners,” wrote Benioff. “It’s proof that collaboration works and a reminder that the city needs more resources to keep San Franciscans safe year-round.”

Though Benioff sought to clarify his take on possible National Guard deployments to San Francisco, he was flanked by billionaire and erstwhile Trump adviser Elon Musk, who said federal intervention in the city was the “only solution at this point.”

“Nothing else has or will work,” he added.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Trump administration hadn’t officially ordered federal law enforcement into San Francisco or directed any new National Guard deployments.

Meanwhile, Trump on Wednesday sidestepped questions from reporters about whether he would direct additional federal surges into Boston or other U.S. cities. He instead slammed Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and repeated his threat to take away the city’s hosting privileges for matches in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“If we think there’s a reason that, whether it’s Boston or anywhere else, that they’re not doing their job, we’re going to take those World Cup games and move them somewhere else,” said the president.

The Trump administration’s recent crackdown on Chicago and Portland has garnered intense criticism as images emerge of federal agents taking aggressive action against protesters and members of the media. In one tense scene on Chicago’s east side Tuesday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents involved in a car chase got into a standoff with demonstrators and deployed tear gas.

The White House is also facing legal challenges to its use of National Guard troops. A federal judge on Wednesday extended a temporary block on the administration’s use of Oregon National Guard members in Portland.

Though the legality of Trump’s urban crackdown has been questionable and critics have assailed the conduct of federal agents, Republicans in Congress do not appear eager to conduct oversight on the administration’s approach to law enforcement. House Speaker Mike Johnson told Courthouse News on Tuesday that he had not seen federal agents “cross the line yet” in their response to protesters whom he framed as “radical leftist activists.”

“We have committees of jurisdiction who have that responsibility, but it’s not risen to that level,” said Johnson, who added that Congress should be focused on supporting law enforcement rather than “crazy radicals.”

The Trump administration’s Chicago campaign, dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz,” has resulted in more than 800 arrests, according to the Homeland Security Department. Dozens more have been detained by federal agents or arrested by local police in protests near the ICE detention facility in Portland.

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