{"id":2499007,"date":"2025-10-15T05:24:01","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T09:24:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/salesforce-ceo-has-a-history-of-funding-protest-industrial-complex\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T05:27:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T09:27:26","slug":"salesforce-ceo-has-a-history-of-funding-protest-industrial-complex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/salesforce-ceo-has-a-history-of-funding-protest-industrial-complex\/","title":{"rendered":"Salesforce CEO has a history of funding protest-industrial complex"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsalesforce-ceo-has-a-history-of-funding-protest-industrial-complex%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2499007&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, traditionally a major Democratic donor, has expressed support for President Donald Trump&#8217;s decision to deploy the National Guard to San Francisco to address rising crime and unrest in the city where Salesforce is headquartered. Benioff praised Trump&#8217;s handling of the situation, despite previously funding movements and organizations associated with disruptive protest activities through Salesforce&#8217;s philanthropic initiatives, such as the Pledge 1% program. This program, which Salesforce developed, channels corporate giving toward social justice causes but later transferred management to the left-leaning Tides Foundation, known for backing activist groups linked to political upheaval.<\/p>\n<p>Benioff&#8217;s recent endorsement of stricter law enforcement and federal intervention represents a notable political shift. While he backed sending federal troops, he later softened his stance, emphasizing that local and state leaders hold primary duty for public safety. Alongside his comments, benioff announced Salesforce&#8217;s commitment of $15 billion over five years and additional funding to improve safety in San Francisco.<\/p>\n<p>The unexpected support for Trump contrasts with Benioff&#8217;s past donations to Democratic candidates and highlights growing tensions around protests, policing, and governance in sanctuary cities like San Francisco. Other Silicon Valley leaders have similarly shown newfound praise for Trump, reflecting complex political dynamics within the tech industry.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Salesforce CEO who backed National Guard deployment previously funded protest-industrial complex<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2360090\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, a longtime Democratic mega donor, is backing President Donald Trump on sending in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/National-Guard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Guard<\/a> to San Francisco, after helping to heavily fund what <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/dark-money\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">dark money<\/a> watchdogs call the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/protests\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">protest<\/a>-industrial complex.<\/p>\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/10\/10\/us\/marc-benioff-san-francisco-guard.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">an interview<\/a> with the <em>New York Times <\/em>last week, Benioff said Trump should deploy the National Guard to San Francisco, where Salesforce is headquartered, to clean up the city overrun with crime.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3849654\/delay-prone-f-35-program-led-by-dei-advocates\/\">Delay-prone F-35 program was led by DEI advocates, rewarded by Biden for late deliveries<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3849280\/dallas-ice-attack-suspect-radiation-sickness-practiced-shooting\/\">Dallas ICE attack suspect believed he had radiation sickness and practiced shooting, records show<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3847176\/chairman-voting-machine-firm-faces-scrutiny-political-donations\/\">Chairman of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/all-living-israeli-hostages-officially-freed-from-hamas-captivity\/\" title=\"All living Israeli hostages officially freed from Hamas captivity\">major voting machine firm faces scrutiny<\/a> for partisan political donations<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t have enough cops, so if they can be cops, I&rsquo;m all for it,&rdquo; Benioff said of the federal troops, adding that he &ldquo;fully supports the president&rdquo; and thinks Trump is &ldquo;doing a great job.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Trump is turning to the National Guard as both a crime-fighting force and a riot response squadron for quelling the nationwide uprisings against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, namely in sanctuary cities. The anti-ICE unrest also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/3435313\/demonstrators-arrested-san-francisco-ice-protest\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reached San Francisco<\/a>, which has its own <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sf.gov\/information--sanctuary-city-ordinance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sanctuary ordinance<\/a> prohibiting local law enforcement from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/providence-distributes-instructions-for-evading-ice-capture\/\" title=\"Providence distributes instructions for evading ICE capture\">assisting federal immigration authorities<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Benioff&rsquo;s comments came ahead of his annual <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/plus\/experience\/dreamforce_2025?d=701ed000003jbyFAAQ&amp;nc=701ed000003kI0fAAE&amp;utm_content=701ed000003jbyFAAQ&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=paid_search&amp;utm_campaign=22542202263&amp;utm_adgroup=180892051393&amp;utm_term=dreamforce&amp;utm_matchtype=e&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=22542202263&amp;gbraid=0AAAAAD4PnrNenD6PCC9_huSsYgJFN9wty&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjw6bfHBhDNARIsAIGsqLg_YTJMGmY4lw__RMzXNlc4Xro5OyITTwnHW9aR1wvH5onEQF-EzIkaAntQEALw_wcB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dreamforce<\/a> conference in downtown San Francisco, a large-scale event requiring expansive security services. In the interview, Benioff bemoaned that he has to pay out of pocket for hundreds of off<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/7-moments-that-show-lebron-james-used-to-have-a-very-different-attitude-on-police\/\" title=\"7 Moments That Show LeBron James Used To Have A Very Different Attitude On Police\">-duty police officers<\/a> to patrol the area around the convention.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;You&rsquo;ll see. When you walk through San Francisco next week, there will be cops on every corner,&rdquo; Benioff said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s how it used to be.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FILE &ndash; California National Guard are positioned at the Federal Building, June 10, 2025, in downtown Los Angeles. (AP Photo\/Eric Thayer, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Benioff&rsquo;s call to restore law and order signifies a political about-face for the left-leaning billionaire and his philanthropic work.<\/p>\n<p>Under Benioff, Salesforce handed over the keys to its global funding vehicle to a dark money network <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3346896\/how-actblue-makes-money-off-protestors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">bankrolling disruptive protest politics across America<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In 2014, Benioff co-pioneered <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pledge1percent.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pledge 1%<\/a>, a corporate philanthropy model in which companies that take the pledge commit at least one percent of profits to charitable causes, preferably with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/company\/pledge\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&ldquo;equitable&rdquo;<\/a> aims.<\/p>\n<p>Pledge 1%, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pledge1percent.org\/about-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">seeded by Benioff<\/a>, acts as a corporate giving pipeline directing the flow of funds to such social justice initiatives. Since its inception, Pledge 1% has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pledge1percent.org\/our-impact\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">generated<\/a> more than $3 billion&nbsp;from over 19,000 participating companies around the world, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pledge1percent.org\/about-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the goal<\/a> of &ldquo;embedding social impact into the DNA of all businesses.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Salesforce ultimately <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pledge1percent.org\/tag\/tides\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ceded control<\/a> of Pledge 1%&rsquo;s infrastructure to the Tides Foundation, one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >largest left-wing grantmaking operations<\/a> in the U.S., responsible for funding agitation-style activism.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s now managed by Tides and they work with [companies] one-on-one and tell you exactly what to do,&rdquo; Salesforce&rsquo;s chief philanthropy officer, Ebony Beckwith, <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2019\/12\/02\/the-tech-of-giving-back-an-interview-with-salesforces-chief-philanthropy-officer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a> <em>TechCrunch<\/em> in a 2019 interview.<\/p>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20230602134214\/https:\/\/www.tides.org\/story\/pledge-1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tides website<\/a>, which describes its takeover of Pledge 1% as the venture&rsquo;s fiscal sponsor and &ldquo;thought partner,&rdquo; Tides administers donor-advised funds, or charitable investment accounts, on behalf of these companies and offers financial guidance on &ldquo;how\/where to invest their philanthropic dollars.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Tides, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/3047800\/major-philanthropies-camouflage-tax-exempt-donations-to-fuel-gaza-protests\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a pass-through funder<\/a> of left-of-center organizations, has financed various activist activities connected to political upheaval, including giving grants to pro-Palestinian groups that stoked widespread chaos on major U.S. college campuses in 2023.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2568235\/hamas-friendly-protest-groups-bankrolled-by-democratic-dark-money-juggernaut-tides\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>HAMAS-FRIENDLY PROTEST GROUPS BANKROLLED BY DEMOCRATIC DARK MONEY JUGGERNAUT TIDES<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Salesforce&rsquo;s funneling of funds through Tides is precisely how corporate philanthropy can feed the protest-industrial complex,&rdquo; said Seamus Bruner, the director of research at the Government Accountability Institute.<\/p>\n<p>From 2022 to 2024, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/company\/salesforce-foundation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Salesforce Foundation<\/a>, the company&rsquo;s 501(c)(3) offshoot, directly gave various Tides entities a total of $27.4 million in grant money, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grantable.co\/search\/funders\/profile\/salesforce-foundation-us-foundation-943347800\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tax filings<\/a>, though those donations were earmarked for a wide range of vaguely described causes, such as &ldquo;employment opportunities,&rdquo; &ldquo;general support,&rdquo; &ldquo;youth development,&rdquo; and &ldquo;solving homelessness.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Following backlash from city officials over his commentary urging the National Guard&rsquo;s deployment, Benioff <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Benioff\/status\/1977828746087600536\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced<\/a> that he is &ldquo;doubling down on San Francisco&rdquo; and that Salesforce is investing $15 billion over the next five years to &ldquo;build a greater, safer city for everyone.&rdquo; Through a private-public partnership with San Francisco, an additional $1 million will cover hiring bonuses for newly enlisted police officers, Benioff <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Benioff\/status\/1977506464685285781\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">added<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>However, he backtracked on welcoming federal intervention in San Francisco, saying that public safety is &ldquo;first and foremost, the responsibility of our city and state leaders.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Whether Mr. Benioff intended it or not, his firm has helped bankroll the very networks now roiling cities,&rdquo; Bruner told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;His recent call, which he has since softened, for President Trump to deploy the National Guard in San Francisco underscores how politically fraught this all has become.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In this photo taken Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff speaks at a luncheon in San Francisco. (AP Photo\/Eric Risberg, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>It is unclear <span style=\"margin: 0px;padding: 0px\">why Benioff, who had&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/receipts\/individual-contributions\/?committee_id=C00575795&amp;committee_id=C00586982&amp;committee_id=C00694455&amp;committee_id=C00735902&amp;contributor_name=Benioff%2C+Marc\" target=\"_blank\">donated<\/a>&nbsp;hefty sums to the respective presidential runs of Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris, appears to have suddenly changed his<\/span> heart on Trump and his administration&rsquo;s agenda. Salesforce did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<p>In September, Benioff sat across from Trump during <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3812179\/trump-charles-lavish-uk-state-banquet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a state dinner at Windsor Castle<\/a> hosted by King Charles. As the Salesforce head was quoted as saying in the&nbsp;New York Times, Benioff repeatedly told Trump, &ldquo;How grateful [Benioff is] for everything he&rsquo;s doing.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>A number of Silicon Valley playmakers have lined up in a similar fashion to heap public praise upon the president, rubbing elbows with him at high-profile events. Apple CEO Tim Cook gifted Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/restoring-america\/courage-strength-optimism\/3760485\/trump-industrial-policy-kobold-metals-congo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a 24-karat gold piece<\/a> in an August trip to the Oval Office. <span style=\"margin: 0px;padding: 0px\">OpenAI&rsquo;s chief executive, Sam Altman,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sfgate.com\/politics\/article\/zuckerberg-trump-white-house-tech-ceo-dinner-21032977.php\" target=\"_blank\">told<\/a>&nbsp;Trum<\/span>p he was &ldquo;a very refreshing change&rdquo; at a White House gala for tech tycoons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Salesforce CEO backs Guard after funding protest groups<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3767,"featured_media":2499008,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/marc.webp?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[48539,50913,6513,65243,13299],"class_list":["post-2499007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-business-ethics","tag-ceo-2","tag-funding","tag-protest-industrial-complex","tag-salesforce"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/marc.webp?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2499007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3767"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2499007"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2499007\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2499011,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2499007\/revisions\/2499011"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2499008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2499007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2499007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2499007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}