Coverage dated May 4, 2025 to May 5, 2025

Wild escape attempts, famous mobsters and no running water: Inside America’s most notorious prison as Trump vows to reopen Alcatraz

Headline from New York Post, on the newest of 2 developments

Known in its heyday as one of the scariest prisons in America, Alcatraz still looms large despite having shut down in 1963. Now, President Trump wants to reopen it.

New York Post's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Developments in this update

2 dated developments, oldest first, newest marked. Each is named by one outlet's own headline; open its reports to see every outlet that covered it.

  1. Trump calls for notorious Alcatraz prison to be reopened

    Headline from Fox32 Chicago ·

  2. Newest

    Wild escape attempts, famous mobsters and no running water: Inside America’s most notorious prison as Trump vows to reopen Alcatraz

    Headline from New York Post ·

Reports & sources

95 articles, oldest first.

  1. Green Field Reporter

    The Latest: Trump orders crumbling Alcatraz prison to be rebuilt and reopened - The Daily Reporter (opens Green Field Reporter)

    Published

    Green Field Reporter's feed description

    President Donald Trump made some more announcements in social media posts late Sunday — he said he’s ordered federal agencies to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the notorious and crumbling former island prison in San Francisco Bay.

  2. WDIO Duluth

    Trump says he's going to reopen Alcatraz prison. Doing so would be difficult and costly (opens WDIO Duluth)

    Published

    WDIO Duluth's feed description

    President Donald Trump says he's directing his government to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the notorious former prison on a California island that's been closed for more than 60 years. In a social media message Sunday, Trump wrote that, “For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and …

  3. Las Vegas Review-Journal

    Trump says he’ll reopen Alcatraz prison for ‘America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders’ (opens Las Vegas Review-Journal)

    Published

    Las Vegas Review-Journal's feed description

    President Trump says he is directing his government to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the notorious former prison on a hard-to-reach California island off San Francisco that has been closed for more than 60 years.

  4. Fox32 Chicago

    Trump calls for notorious Alcatraz prison to be reopened (opens Fox32 Chicago)

    Published

    Fox32 Chicago's feed description

    In a Truth Social post on Sunday, President Donald Trump called for San Francisco's infamous Alcatraz prison to be reopened to house America's most "ruthless and violent offenders."

  5. Delaware Public Media

    Trump says he will reopen Alcatraz for the 'most ruthless and violent' prisoners (opens Delaware Public Media)

    Published

    Delaware Public Media's feed description

    The prison on a forbidding island off San Francisco was operated at a prohibitive cost. Now, President Trump says it's time to substantially enlarge and rebuild Alcatraz as a federal penitentiary.

  6. The Hill

    Trump’s call to reopen Alcatraz faces ‘daunting’ challenges (opens The Hill)

    Published

    The Hill's feed description

    President Trump’s long shot idea to reopen Alcatraz as a functioning prison is a reflection of his political instincts and personal tastes.

  7. Newsweek

    Donald Trump wants to reopen and expand infamous Alcatraz prison (opens Newsweek)

    Published

    Newsweek's feed description

    Trump announced plans Sunday to reopen and expand the historic Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary to house "America's most ruthless and violent Offenders."

  8. KESQ Palm Springs

    Trump wants to reopen one of America’s most notorious prisons. Here’s how Alcatraz earned its reputation (opens KESQ Palm Springs)

    Published

    KESQ Palm Springs's feed description

    By Karina Tsui, CNN (CNN) — President Donald Trump on Sunday said he would order the government to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz, a former prison on a small island of the same name off the coast of San Francisco that once housed some of the most dangerous criminals in the country, including Al Capone,…

  9. ABC 12 Flint

    Trump says he will reopen Alcatraz prison (opens ABC 12 Flint)

    Published

    ABC 12 Flint's feed description

    President Donald Trump says he is directing his government to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the notorious former prison on a California island that has been closed for more than 60

  10. The Daily Signal

    Trump Plans to Reopen Alcatraz, Irking Pelosi (opens The Daily Signal)

    Published

    The Daily Signal's feed description

    President Donald Trump’s Sunday announcement of plans to reopen San Francisco’s Alcatraz Island as a prison irked Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Ca.

  11. WHDH Boston

    Trump says he’s going to reopen Alcatraz prison - Boston News, Weather, Sports (opens WHDH Boston)

    Published

    WHDH Boston's feed description

    NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump says he is directing his government to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the notorious former prison on a hard-to-reach California island

  12. NBC New York

    How big is Alcatraz and other facts about the infamous prison Trump wants to reopen (opens NBC New York)

    Published

    NBC New York's feed description

    President Donald Trump says he wants Alcatraz to be returned to use as a maximum-security prison. Here's what to know about the infamous prison.

  13. The Hill

    Trump orders reopening of Alcatraz prison (opens The Hill)

    Published

    The Hill's feed description

    President Trump said Sunday that he is ordering the reopening of the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, the historic prison offshore from San Francisco that closed more than 60 years ago. “For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, wh…

  14. Fox News

    Trump orders feds to reopen Alcatraz to house 'America’s most ruthless and violent' criminals (opens Fox News)

    Published

    Fox News's feed description

    President Trump directed the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and other agencies to rebuild Alcatraz bigger and reopen to house America's most violent criminals.

  15. NBC10 Philadelphia

    President Trump says he will direct agencies to reopen Alcatraz (opens NBC10 Philadelphia)

    Published

    NBC10 Philadelphia's feed description

    President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he is ordering the reopening of Alcatraz, a prison on an island in the San Francisco Bay.

  16. FOX Business

    Trump floats reopening Alcatraz – here’s how much revenue the notorious prison generates (opens FOX Business)

    Published

    FOX Business's feed description

    President Donald Trump said he's directing federal agencies to reopen the federal prison at Alcatraz, which closed in 1963 and is now a National Park Service-operated tourist site.

  17. Rolling Stone

    Trump Directs Federal Bureau of Prisons to 'Reopen a Substantially Enlarged and Rebuilt Alcatraz' (opens Rolling Stone)

    Published

    Rolling Stone's feed description

    Trump said he's directed government agencies to reopen the notorious prison Alcatraz 'to house America’s most ruthless and violent offenders.'

  18. Breitbart News

    Trump Directs Federal Agencies to 'Rebuild and Open Alcatraz' (opens Breitbart News)

    Published

    Breitbart News's feed description

    President Donald Trump directed federal agencies to reopen and rebuild Alcatraz prison to house the "most ruthless and violent" criminals.

  19. The Daily Signal

    ‘We Need Detention Beds’: Border Czar Homan Says of Trump’s Plan to Reopen Alcatraz Prison (opens The Daily Signal)

    Published

    The Daily Signal's feed description

    “Well, we need detention beds,” border czar Tom Homan says when asked about Trump’s suggestion the infamous island prison be reopened.

  20. MyNorthwest

    AP PHOTOS: Trump says he'll reopen Alcatraz (opens MyNorthwest)

    Published

    MyNorthwest's feed description

    President Donald Trump says he is directing his government to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the notorious former prison on a hard-to-reach California island off

  21. Green Field Reporter

    Trump says he will reopen Alcatraz prison - The Daily Reporter (opens Green Field Reporter)

    Published

    Green Field Reporter's feed description

    NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump says he is directing his government to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the notorious former prison on a hard-to-reach California island off San Francisco that has been closed for more than 60 years.

  22. ABC 7 San Francisco

    Trump says he will reopen notorious Alcatraz prison in San Francisco (opens ABC 7 San Francisco)

    Published

    ABC 7 San Francisco's feed description

    Donald Trump says he is directing his government to reopen and expand Alcatraz in San Francisco, which has been closed for more than 60 years.

  23. Legal Insurrection

    Trump Wants to 'Rebuild, and Open Alcatraz!' (opens Legal Insurrection)

    Published

    Legal Insurrection's feed description

    "The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

  24. CBS News

    Trump says he will reopen Alcatraz to house "America (opens CBS News)

    Published

    CBS News's feed description

    Alcatraz was a notorious former prison on an island off California that housed some famous gangsters like Al Capone, George "Machine-Gun" Kelly and Alvin Karpis.

  25. BNO News

    Trump orders reopening and expansion of Alcatraz to house violent offenders (opens BNO News)

    Published

    BNO News's feed description

    President Trump announced that he has ordered the reopening and expansion of the federal prison facility on Alcatraz Island to detain what he described as “America’s most ruthless and violent offenders.

Showing the first 25 of 59 headlines. ·

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.

Wild escape attempts, famous mobsters and no running water: Inside America’s most notorious prison as Trump vows to reopen Alcatraz | Since Then