By Steve Neavling
Former President Trump injected himself into the debate over the construction of a new FBI headquarters in Maryland, repeating his long-held support for keeping the building in Washington D.C.
“The FBI headquarters should not be moved to a far-away location, but should stay right where it is, in a new spectacular building, in the best location on our now crime-ridden and filthy-dirty, graffiti-scarred, capital,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Saturday.
He added: “They should be involved in bringing back D.C., not running away from it, especially the violent crime. An important part of my platform for president is to bring back, restore, and rebuild Washington D.C. into the ‘crown jewel’ of the nation. We will make it crime-free and great again. The FBI should not be fleeing for safer, yet much less convenient, environs. It should make where they are now the safest place on earth. Don’t move the FBI.”
While Trump was president, he advocated keeping the headquarters in D.C. Democrats accused him of worrying that a new hotel would be built at the current site, a few blocks from Trump International Hotel.
In 2017, The Associated Press revealed that Vornado Realty Trust, which owned buildings with Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner’s family, was among three firms vying for a contract to build the replacement headquarters.
Even some Trump supporters questioned Trump’s support for building a new headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Steve Bannon, a far-right media personality and Trump’s former White House chief strategist, said the FBI should be shut down.
“Mr President the FBI Will Need NEITHER A NEW BUILDING OR THEIR EXISTING ONE—BECAUSE THEY MUST BE SHUT DOWN,” Bannon wrote on Gettr on Saturday.
At least two Republican presidential candidates also criticized Trump for his comments about the FBI headquarters.
“Donald Trump failed to drain the swamp so perhaps it is not surprising that he is seeking to deepen the swamp by building a massive new FBI building in D.C.,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Actually, draining the swamp requires taking power out of D.C., not cementing power inside D.C.”
Vivek Ramaswamy wrote on X, “The FBI can’t be ‘reformed.’ The right answer is: Shut it down. Yes, the president can do it. I will.”
