California Governor Gavin Newsom didn’t mince words when reacting to President Trump’s recent directive to reopen and rebuild the infamous Alcatraz prison. In and escalation of their ongoing fued, where he last called out Trump’s golfing habit, Newsom slammed Trump’s plan saying “nothing about this makes any sense.”.
President Trump took to Truth Social to announce his intention, directing the Bureau of Prisons, the Department of Justice, the FBI, and Homeland Security to get Alcatraz back in business. His goal is to house “America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders” in the historic facility. It’s a bold move, considering the prison’s long history and the reasons it was originally shut down.
Per CBS News, Newsom, questioned Trump’s idea. “I don’t know if he’s watching ‘The Rock‘ or what inspired this,” Newsom remarked, referencing the 1996 action film starring Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage. “I mean, you can’t even come up with a more colossally bad fiscal idea.” He even compared the plan to “the form and substance of the stuff that flows in and out of the bay over Alcatraz every day: fog.”
Alcatraz has more cons than pros
The president’s vision isn’t just about reopening the existing structure; he’s looking to rebuild Alcatraz into a “substantially enlarged.” Trump is seeking a hefty $152 million from Congress for the same, as a part of the White House’s proposed budget for 2027.
The funding will go to the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to cover the initial year of project costs to transform Alcatraz into a “state-of-the-art secure prison facility.” Trump’s also pushing for $1.7 billion investment to “secure America’s prisons,” highlighting concerns about violent criminals being housed in “crumbling detention facilities.”
Trump first ordered the restoration of the infamous offshore prison last May, now, he has renewed the order. When asked by a reporter outside the White House, why he wanted to reopen Alcatraz, President Trump simply said it was “just an idea I’ve had.” He added, “It’s long been a symbol, Alcatraz, of whatever it is. I mean, it’s a sad symbol, but it’s a symbol of law and order.”
Alcatraz Island, located right in the middle of San Francisco Bay and surrounded by those famously frigid Pacific waters, has a long and varied history. According to PBS, before its stint as a maximum-security penitentiary, it actually served as a military prison from 1850 to 1933., even housing Confederates during the Civil War.
By the 1930s, the government decided it needed a truly secure place for the country’s worst criminals, and Alcatraz became the top choice. The National Park Service noted that “a remote site was sought, one that would prohibit constant communication with the outside world by those confined within its walls.” In fact, its formidable location foiled most, if not all escapes.
This is where notorious gangsters like Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly, along with other men deemed too dangerous for typical lock-ups, spent their time. However, its remoteness, which was initially seen as a benefit, eventually became its downfall. Turns out, Alcatraz was nearly three times more expensive to operate than any other federal prison.
The U.S. Bureau of Prisons noted that “an estimated $3-5 million was needed just for restoration and maintenance work to keep the prison open,” forget about daily operating costs. The cost of each prisoner was $10.10 compared $3 at the time. Additionally, the island had no source of fresh water, so a million gallons of water had to be barged in every single week. It was just economical to build new prisons. So, Alcatraz was closed in 1963.
Alcatraz, today has a completely different purpose, as a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It’s now one of the West Coast’s most popular tourist attractions, welcoming approximately 1.5 million tourists annually. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons confirmed that they “will comply with all Presidential Orders” given.
Not everyone is on board through. Rob Frank, a 55-year-old from Missouri, who toured Alcatraz, found it a “dark place” with “small cells, ” and said “it didn’t seem very humane.” Sen. Scott Wiener (D-CA) criticized Trump saying that he wants to create a “domestic gulag right in the middle of San Francisco Bay.”
Published: Apr 4, 2026 09:25 am