2 million visitors annually and generates roughly $60 million in revenue each year. Calvin first conceived of the monument in 2018 during a visit to San Francisco, envisioning it as a landmark to rival the Statue of Liberty. He shares political views with former President Donald Trump, including a fondness for bombastic monuments, opposition to identity politics and Black Lives Matter, conspiratorial thinking, and concerns about immigration as an existential threat.
However, Calvin also holds anti-authoritarian beliefs, praising American-style multiculturalism, the election of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York, and the tactics of historical freedom fighters like first-wave feminists and Nat Turner. Calvin believes he can fast-track the plans for a White House meeting within the next six months, though it remains uncertain whether the Trump administration will approve handing over Alcatraz for the project. The proposal's funding sources and potential support or opposition from local or federal authorities beyond Trump's approval are also unclear.