Comedians cancel Dreamforce show as Benioff takes heat

Comedians Kumail Nanjiani and Ilana Glazer dropped out of performing at Salesforce's annual tech conference this week after the company's chief executive, Marc Benioff ,made controversial remarks that showed his support for President Trump.

- BY QUEENIE WONG

Last week, Benioff told the New York Times he thought Trump should deploy the National Guard to reduce crime in San Francisco, comments that sparked backlash from Silicon Valley philanthropists and Democrats.

On Friday, Benioff apologized.

"I do not believe the National Guard is needed to address safety in San Francisco," he wrote on social media site X. "My earlier comment came from an abundance of caution around the event, and I sincerely apologize for the concern it caused."

Salesforce, a software company based in San Francisco, provides a platform that businesses use to manage customer data and track sales. The company confirmed the comedians dropped out but the entertainers haven't said publicly what prompted the last-minute cancellation. A source close to the company told the San Francisco Chronicle that Nanjiani became ill and that led to his scheduled opener Glazer to cancel as well.

Nanjiani and Glazer haven't publicly spoken out about Benioff's remarks.