“He wanted me in here, that son of a b***h,” President Donald Trump can be heard saying in a video posted by the 47 Rapid Response X account Tuesday. In the video, filmed during a tour of Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz” prison, he is referring to former President Joe Biden.
While the president didn’t elaborate on the comment in the video, it is likely related to the multiple indictments Trump faced during Biden’s term in office. Biden beat Trump in the 2020 election after Trump’s first term but dropped out last year and was replaced by former Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump. This year, Biden revealed that he has an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem were also along for the “Alligator Alcatraz” visit. In an X post, DeSantis called the new Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center “Florida’s one-stop shop for staging illegal aliens for deportation.”
He said that the facility can stage 3,000 detainees for “efficient removal,” and that it has a two-mile runway to allow federal aircraft to transport illegal aliens directly out of the country. Following the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia this year, the Trump administration’s efforts to fly immigrants out of the country were met with both public and legal criticism.
“We got this facility up and running in a matter of days, enhancing the ability of DHS to remove detained illegal aliens as expeditiously as possible,” DeSantis said.
Development of the detention center has been met with some pushback from the National Parks Conservation Group, the American Civil Liberties Union and more.
“Alligator Alcatraz is a milestone in our effort to help the Trump Administration fulfill its mandate to the American people and restore our nation’s sovereignty,” DeSantis added.
According to Noem, this facility and others “give us the capability to lock up some of the worst scumbags who entered our country under the previous administration.” She also said the DHS plans to expand facilities and bed space over the coming days.
Across the country, Trump has also said that he wants to reopen the actual Alcatraz prison, located on an island near San Francisco, Calif. It hasn’t been home to prisoners for decades and has been run as a tourist attraction, but Trump again brought up his dream to reopen it this week.
“Because of the Violence and Criminality I have seen due to the Open Border Policy of Sleepy Joe Biden, in particular allowing millions of people into our Country who shouldn’t be here, I wanted something representative to show how we fight back, and then, it happened, I saw a picture of ALCATRAZ looking so foreboding, and I said, “We’re going to look into renovating and rebuilding the famous ALCATRAZ Prison sitting high on the Bay, surrounded by sharks,” said the president in a Truth Social post. “What a symbol it is, and will be!” Conceptual work started six months ago, and various prison development firms are looking at doing it with us. Still a little early, but lots of promise!”