SAN FRANCISCO — President Donald Trump backed off plans to deploy federal forces in San Francisco after discussions with influential tech leaders and Mayor Daniel Lurie. Trump, who had previously criticized San Francisco for its crime rates, announced that he would give local officials a chance to resolve the issues at hand, citing reports from tech CEOs, including Marc Benioff of Salesforce and Jensen Huang of Nvidia, indicating improvements in the city's situation.
Trump's comments came during a press briefing where he mentioned that San Francisco has made significant strides in crime reduction, stating, We are holding off that surge, everybody. And we’re going to let them see if they can do it.” He signaled that if the situation does not improve, he would reassess the need for federal intervention.
Mayor Lurie had a constructive conversation with Trump, expressing his commitment to local public safety efforts, which include addressing the surge in fentanyl abuse and related crime. In response to national politics surrounding crime and safety, Lurie has focused on stabilizing San Francisco by prioritizing local issues, resulting in a significant drop in crime rates.
While former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi commended Lurie's leadership, doubts linger about Trump’s reliability in backing off federal actions in the future. Trump’s potential deployment of National Guard troops now appears to be on hold, providing a space for local leaders to work on restoring confidence in the city's safety.
Despite the shift in plans, some local officials remain wary of Trump’s promises, concerned that his willingness to intervene could resurface depending on future crime statistics. Lurie emphasized, “San Francisco is on the rise,” yet the specter of federal forces looms if local efforts falter.
