President Trump said Friday that he plans to halt the relocation of the FBI headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Maryland.
In November 2023, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) chose a site in Greenbelt, Maryland, to serve as the new location for the FBI headquarters. The decision came after a 15-year debate on whether the headquarters should be relocated to Maryland or Virginia.
“GSA determined Greenbelt to be the best site because it was the lowest cost to taxpayers, provided the greatest transportation access to FBI employees and visitors, and gave the government the most certainty on project delivery schedule,” a GSA spokesperson said in a statement.
Allegations about a conflict of interest prompted a federal watchdog to launch an investigation into how the site was chosen.
GSA officials said the 61-acre site in Prince George’s County was chosen due to the fact that it scored higher in several criteria.
Officials said the Greenbelt site was accessible by public transit as it is within walking distance of a Metro station and commuter rail station. Officials also said the site would allow for a consistent and predictable construction schedule and would offer the best opportunity for the investment to positively impact the region. The site would also provide the lowest cost for taxpayers.
“The GSA selected Greenbelt for the new, consolidated FBI headquarters based on the fact that it is the best site,” Maryland lawmakers said in a statement after the investigation was announced. “Any objective evaluation will find that the GSA arrived at this decision after a thorough and transparent process.”
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said the new headquarters would bring more than 7,500 new jobs and generate more than $4 billion in economic activity.
Virginia leaders argued that there was evidence that the selection process was influenced by political considerations. They called for the process to be halted until the investigation was completed.
The report by the federal watchdog, released in February 2025, found some flaws in the selection process but ultimately did not recommend that the decision be overturned.
President Trump plans to halt FBI HQ move
On Friday, President Trump announced his plan to halt the move, saying, “…They were going to build an FBI headquarters three hours away in Maryland, a liberal state, but that has no bearing on what I’m about to say.”
“But we’re going to stop it, not going to let that happen,” the president continued. “We’re going to build another big FBI building right where it is, which would have been the right place because the FBI and the DOJ [Department of Justice] have to be near each other.”
The president did not share the details of his plan to overturn the GSA’s decision.
Maryland leaders respond
Gov. Moore took to social media after Mr. Trump’s comments, saying, “This would be a reckless move that endangers our national security.”
The governor added that the site in Maryland is “build ready, and best meets the needs of the FBI.”
“…Turning this into a partisan issue makes our country less safe and harms the FBI’s mission of protecting Americans at home and abroad,” the governor continued in another social media post.
A group of Maryland leaders, including Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, Gov. Moore, and several U.S. representatives, also released a joint statement addressing Mr. Trump’s plan.
“The GSA selected Greenbelt for the new, consolidated FBI headquarters based on the fact that it is the best site and it offers the lowest price and the best value to the taxpayers,” the state leaders said. “What’s more, it ensures that the FBI can move to a facility that will finally meet its mission and security needs as soon as possible.”
