SF Mayor Daniel Lurie says city improving after Trump deployment issue

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, who has recently been embroiled in a national debate about the safety of major cities, told CNBC on Thursday that he feels “pressure every day” to continue improving conditions for residents.

Last week, President Donald Trump reversed plans for a “federal surge” in San Francisco. Potential National Guard deployment currently making headlines: sales force CEO Marc Benioff said: New York Times He said he would support Trump’s call for federal troops to be sent to the city.

Benioff’s thoughts were supported by Elon Musk and David Sacks, high-profile tech experts with close ties to the Trump administration. Benioff quickly backed down as criticism mounted.

Unlike California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Lurie has tried to avoid conflict with Trump since taking office in January. But he said the city was making progress on business development and crime, and frequently cited data to support his claims.

In Thursday’s interview, Lurie’s first on television since the Trump incident, the mayor said there is much work ahead.

“I felt that pressure in January, I feel that pressure today,” Lurie said when asked about support from tech leaders. “I think they understand… When San Francisco is strong, America is strong.”

Lurie, a moderate Democrat, pointed to a body of data showing the city is making progress in its post-pandemic comeback, driven largely by a boom in investment and the use of artificial intelligence. The 2025 data from CBRE’s venture financing show is expected to surpass the record reached in 2021, thanks largely to AI investments in San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

Additionally, crime rates are down 30% by 2024 as event bookings and tourism increase, residential real estate declines and the office market warms.

“We have a lot of competition in the world and we are on the rise,” Lurie said. “Anything that would stop this rise is something we don’t need.”

Lurie also leverages his philanthropic commitments by working with the city to clean up streets and support small businesses. He shared on CNBC on Thursday that the San Francisco Downtown Development Corporation has now raised $50 million for the effort, up from an initial $40 million.

The goal, he said, is to trigger a comeback with the help of the city’s tech boom, but to pave the way for all businesses to thrive.

“What we’re trying to build here is a broad-based recovery at City Hall,” Lurie said. “Our job is to create the conditions, not just these. [tech] companies can be successful, but so can our restaurants and small businesses. We eliminate bureaucracy. We say that we are open to doing business with everyone. “We want you here and we want you to be part of the community.”