President Trump is seriously considering reopening Alcatraz as a federal prison, and Bay Area leaders are absolutely not having it. State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, went off on Friday over the proposal, calling it a massive waste of taxpayer money and a threat to one of the region’s most iconic landmarks.

Trump requested $152 million in his 2027 federal budget just to cover the first-year costs of converting Alcatraz Island back into a penitentiary. But here’s the kicker: Wiener’s office estimates the total cost of this project could balloon to $2 billion. Yeah, you read that right.

“Trump’s idiotic quest to sink $2 billion into ruining a globally popular tourist attraction is the epitome of waste, fraud, and abuse”, Wiener said in a statement. “Trump’s dementia continues to get the best of him. Making Alcatraz a prison again isn’t a thing, and we’re not going to let him turn Alcatraz into his newest gulag. Back off”.

For context, Alcatraz, affectionately known as “The Rock”, closed as a federal penitentiary back in 1963 after operating for 29 years. During its time as a prison, it housed some of the nation’s most notorious criminals, including Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly. The facility was designed to be a maximum-security lockup for the most dangerous offenders.

But a lot has changed since then. After the prison shut down and a period of occupation by American Indian activists, Alcatraz transformed into one of the Bay Area’s premier tourist destinations. Today, over a million visitors annually make the trip to the island to tour the historic cell house and learn about the prison’s dark past. The National Park Service runs the museum, making it a cultural and educational hub for the region.

This isn’t the first time Trump has floated the idea either. In 2025, he initially proposed the conversion, and since then, administration officials have even made a surprise visit to the island to scope things out. Unsurprisingly, Bay Area political leaders, including Wiener, have been vocally opposed from the jump.

The pushback makes sense when you think about it. Beyond the staggering price tag, reopening Alcatraz as a prison would essentially kill one of the most visited attractions in the Bay Area. It would devastate local tourism, cost jobs, and eliminate a crucial space for historical education and reflection. Plus, there are plenty of other facilities that could house federal prisoners without destroying something that’s become so valuable to the community.

Wiener’s fiery response reflects what many Bay Area residents are thinking: this plan is economically reckless, culturally tone-deaf, and frankly absurd. Whether Trump’s proposal actually moves forward remains to be seen, but you can bet Bay Area leaders will continue fighting tooth and nail to protect The Rock’s status as a national treasure.