US President Donald Trump on Monday (May 5) was caught rambling when asked to explain his reasoning behind his order to reopen the notorious Alcatraz prison in San Francisco Bay.

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On Sunday (May 4), Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, “REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!”

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“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,” he had said.

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Trump said that the prison will be used “to house America's most ruthless and violent Offenders,” and his decision “will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE.”

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Alcatraz prison

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Alcatraz has been closed since 1963 due to high operating costs and had only remained open for 29 years, according to the US Bureau of Prisons. The reasons for its closure also include the high cost of supplying the island facility through a boat and the crumbling infrastructure.

The prison held several known criminals in past, including Prohibition-era mob boss Al Capone. According to the FBI, 36 inmates have attempted to escape the prison but were either caught or did not survive.

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The prison was also featured in the 1979 Hollywood film “Escape from Alcatraz,” starring Clinton Eastwood. Some social media users noted the film was recently aired on Saturday (May 3) on WLRN in South Florida, where Trump was staying at his Mar-a-Lago resort, hinting that’s how Trump got the idea to reopen the long-shuttered penitentiary.

Democratic lawmaker and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi called Trump’s plans to be not serious.

“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,” she wrote on X.

In his immigration crackdown, Trump has invoked a wartime law to deport Venezuelan gang members and send them to a notorious prison in El Salvador, for which he is facing legal troubles. He also reopened the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to hold the “worst criminal aliens.”

Watch | Why does Trump want to reopen reopening Alcatraz, notorious prison closed since 1963