Trump pushes to reopen Alcatraz, but Pelosi and Newsom dismiss it as a ‘distraction’

Despite President Donald Trump’s administration confirming that a plan to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz is already underway, San Francisco politicians are dismissing it as an unserious “distraction.”

“From Day One, the Trump Administration has made clear that it will no longer tolerate the dangerous and deranged serial offenders who wreak bloodshed and mayhem in American communities,” White House principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

“At President Trump’s direction, Attorney General Bondi, Secretary Burgum, and other administration leaders have already begun identifying necessary steps to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz and Make America Safe Again.”

As the Trump administration takes its first steps to open the infamous Alcatraz, California politicians Gov. Gavin Newsom, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Mayor Daniel Lurie agree the plan is “not a serious one.”

TRUMP ORDERS FEDS TO REOPEN ALCATRAZ TO HOUSE ‘AMERICA’S MOST RUTHLESS AND VIOLENT’ CRIMINALS

President Donald Trump has directed the administration to rebuild Alcatraz bigger and reopen it to house the most violent criminals. (Credit: iStock | Getty Images)

“Looks like it’s distraction day again in Washington, D.C.,” a Newsom spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

“Alcatraz closed as a federal penitentiary more than sixty years ago. It is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction. The president’s proposal is not a serious one,” Pelosi said on social media on Sunday. 

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“I think Speaker Emerita Pelosi said it right about Alcatraz. This is not a serious proposal,” Lurie said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. 

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rips up President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech during his first term. The San Franciscan said Trump’s Alcatraz plan is “not a serious proposal.” (Getty Images)

Alcatraz has worn many hats in its history, including as a military prison, federal prison, Civil War fortress, bird sanctuary, the first West Coast lighthouse and the birthplace of the American Indian Red Power movement, according to the National Park Service. Alcatraz is most renowned for housing federal inmates, including notorious gangster Al Capone – whom Trump himself often evoked on the campaign trail.

“I’ve been indicted more than Al Capone,” Trump often remarked while campaigning for president in 2024 at his “Make America Great Again” rallies, referring to his 34-count felony conviction for falsifying business records. Capone was indicted on at least 23 counts of federal income tax evasion. 

Alcatraz is a staple tourist attraction in San Francisco, attracting 1.2 million visitors a year. As part of San Francisco’s National Park Service, exhibits include an exploration of the island’s history as a military prison and federal penitentiary, while also sharing insight into its 19-month occupation by Native Americans protesting the U.S. government’s Termination Policy, which aimed to end federal supervision over American Indian tribes.

However, Trump has his own plan for Alcatraz, announcing on Truth Social on Sunday that he wants to “REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!”

Then-former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Oct. 27, 2024. Trump often said on the campaign trail that he has been indicted more than Al Capone. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

“For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering. When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets,” Trump said. 

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“That is why, today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders. We will no longer be held hostage to criminals, thugs, and Judges that are afraid to do their job and allow us to remove criminals, who came into our Country illegally. The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE. We will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”