President Donald Trump’s White House is moving to sell off two federal buildings in San Francisco, including the recently renamed Nancy Pelosi Federal Building, a structure that has become synonymous with urban decay, crime, and government waste.
The 18-story tower, located at Mission and 7th streets, sits in one of San Francisco’s most notorious open-air drug markets, surrounded by rampant crime and illegal reselling of stolen goods. Once known as the San Francisco Federal Building, it was officially renamed for Pelosi in December, just as the area around it continued to deteriorate into chaos.
Alongside Pelosi’s namesake, the Trump administration is eyeing the sale of another federal asset—the historic 50 United Nations Plaza building, which currently serves as the General Services Administration’s (GSA) regional headquarters. A GSA document labels both buildings as “non-core” assets, signaling they are on the chopping block.
Democrats, naturally, see the move as a personal attack. Former Rep. Jackie Speier whined to the press, calling it “payback” against Pelosi and California. Meanwhile, the residents of San Francisco are left wondering why federal workers get armed security while they are forced to fend for themselves against the crime and lawlessness that Democrats have unleashed on their city.
The ugly reality is that these buildings have been a disaster for taxpayers from the start. Trump himself blasted the Pelosi building in 2020, pointing out that locals consider it one of the city’s ugliest structures. Developers agree—Andy Ball, who worked on the project, called it “a waste of taxpayer money from day one”, noting that no private investor would have ever approved it. He estimates the cost was 50% higher than a private-sector project would have been.
The potential sales come as the Trump administration continues slashing government waste through Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). With Musk already relocating X Corp. to Texas, San Francisco’s once-bustling business district has turned into a ghost town, with vacancy rates skyrocketing to 37% downtown and 55% in the Mid-Market area.
Democrats may scream about Trump’s “revenge,” but at the end of the day, San Francisco dug its own grave. Crime, drug markets, and an incompetent government turned these federal buildings into symbols of failure. Selling them off isn’t punishment—it’s common sense.