Visitors to Alcatraz have reacted with disbelief to Donald Trump's proposal to reopen the former federal prison, calling the idea 'insane' and unfeasible. The US president announced on Truth Social over the weekend that he wanted to 'rebuild and open Alcatraz' as a symbol of law and order.
On Monday, tourists queuing for the ferry at Fisherman's Wharf expressed shock at the plan. Jonathan Perez, a 20-year-old psychology student from Miami, said: 'He's insane. They abandoned the prison for a reason.' Others pointed to the cost and infrastructure challenges of reviving the crumbling island facility, which closed in 1963 due to high operating costs.
Alcatraz is now a museum run by the National Park Service and attracts 1.4 million visitors annually. Many tourists saw Trump's announcement as a distraction. Wally Lawson, a retired IT teacher from Australia, said: 'It's a bit of a stunt to get the media off the other decisions he's made.'
Not all reactions were negative. Matti Oshri, 66, from Los Angeles, called Trump 'the best' and said she believed he would follow through. However, staff at the site were reportedly exasperated, and California officials have dismissed the proposal as absurd.
The island also holds significance for Indigenous rights, having been occupied by Native American activists in 1969. Jacqueline Kemokai, a retired nurse from Tampa, said: 'I think it should remain what it is, a national monument.'
