Obama Library Update: Foundation Hits Back At Trump Claims
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, originally envisioned as a new landmark for the city's South Side, has hit back at claims of mismanagement from President Donald Trump.
Despite the Obama Foundation's optimistic public updates, the project has faced major cost overruns, construction disputes and criticism from Trump.
Newsweek contacted the Obama Foundation for comment on this story via email.
The Context
The delay and ballooning budget have made the project a flashpoint. The center's cost has nearly doubled from its original estimate and is now projected at close to $1 billion. The Obama Foundation has said that the project is privately funded and does not rely on taxpayer dollars.
What To Know
In a statement on Tuesday, the Obama Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to the center's vision, saying on X (formerly Twitter): "We can't wait to open our doors to the Obama Presidential Center next spring!
"In addition to a world-class museum, the 19.3-acre campus will feature a gymnasium, a fruit and vegetable garden, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, a playground, and so much more."
The Obama Foundation's official updates say that work has proceeded to close the exterior of the main building, install glass and granite, and fit interior windows on museum levels. Additional insulation has been completed in other structures.
However, Trump weighed in on the project during an Oval Office meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday, calling the project a "disaster," sharply criticizing its management and blaming "woke" hiring practices for its issues.
Former President Barack Obama points out features of the proposed Obama Presidential Center, which is scheduled to be built in nearby Jackson Park, during a gathering at the South Shore Cultural Center on May 3,...
Former President Barack Obama points out features of the proposed Obama Presidential Center, which is scheduled to be built in nearby Jackson Park, during a gathering at the South Shore Cultural Center on May 3, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. More
Getty Images
In response, the Obama Foundation pushed back on the president's remarks.
"Everyone who sees the Obama Presidential Center is blown away by its beauty, scale and the way it will be an economic engine for Chicago and a beacon of hope for the world," Emily Bittner, the foundation's vice president of communications, said in a statement to Newsweek.
"We look forward to welcoming all visitors to the 19.3-acre campus next spring, to experience a presidential center that not only honors the Obamas' legacy but also lifts up the next generation of leaders."
The foundation also responded to the suggestion from Trump that work on the project had "stopped," saying that the president's characterization was not based on fact, and that it was instead a minor dispute between subcontractors that did not directly involve the foundation.
The center was first announced with a budget of around $500 million. However, in 2022, the project cost had increased to about $830 million.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday: "I mean look, President Obama—and if he wanted help, I'd give him help because I build on time and on budget—he's building his presidential library in Chicago. It's a disaster. And he said something to the effect, 'I only want DEI, I only want woke.'
"He wants woke people to build it. Well, he got woke people and they have massive cost overruns; the job is stopped. I don't know, it's a disaster."
What's Next
The Obama Foundation says work will continue at pace to ready the site for public visitors in 2026.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
25 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
President Donald Trump orders US nuclear subs repositioned over statements from ex-Russian leader Medvedev
WASHINGTON — In a warning to Russia, President Donald Trump said Friday he's ordering the repositioning of two U.S. nuclear submarines 'based on the highly provocative statements' of the country's former president, Dmitry Medvedev, who has raised the prospect of war online. Trump posted on his social media site that, based on the 'highly provocative statements' from Medvedev, he had 'ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that.' The president added, 'Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances.' It wasn't clear what impact Trump's order would have on U.S. nuclear subs, which are routinely on patrol in the world's hotspots, but it comes at a delicate moment in the Trump administration's relations with Moscow. Trump has said that special envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to Russia to push Moscow to agree to a ceasefire in its war with Ukraine and has threatened new economic sanctions if progress is not made. He cut his 50-day deadline for action to 10 days, with that window set to expire next week. The post about the sub repositioning came after Trump, in the wee hours of Thursday morning, had posted that Medvedev was a 'failed former President of Russia' and warned him to 'watch his words.' Medvedev responded hours later by writing, 'Russia is right on everything and will continue to go its own way.' And that back-and-forth started earlier this week when Medvedev wrote, 'Trump's playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10' and added, 'He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn't Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country.' Asked as he was leaving the White House on Friday evening for a weekend at his estate in New Jersey about where he was repositioning the subs, Trump didn't offer any specifics. 'We had to do that. We just have to be careful,' he said. 'A threat was made, and we didn't think it was appropriate, so I have to be very careful.' Trump also said, 'I do that on the basis of safety for our people' and 'we're gonna protect our people.' He later added of Medvedev, 'He was talking about nuclear.' 'When you talk about nuclear, we have to be prepared,' Trump said. 'And we're totally prepared.' Medvedev was Russia's president from 2008 to 2012, while Vladimir Putin was barred from seeking a third consecutive term, and then stepped aside to let him run again. Now deputy chairman of Russia's National Security Council, which Putin chairs, Medvedev has been known for his provocative and inflammatory statements since the start of the war in 2022. That's a U-turn from his presidency, when he was seen as liberal and progressive. Medvedev has frequently wielded nuclear threats and lobbed insults at Western leaders on social media. Some observers have argued that with his extravagant rhetoric, Medvedev is seeking to score political points with Putin and Russian military hawks. One such example before the latest spat with Trump came on July 15, after Trump announced plans to supply Ukraine with more weapons via its NATO allies and threatened additional tariffs against Moscow. Medvedev posted then, 'Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin. The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn't care.'
The Hill
25 minutes ago
- The Hill
Kevin O'Leary on Trump's BLS firing: ‘Don't shoot the messenger'
'Shark Tank' investor Kevin O'Leary on Friday criticized President Trump for proposing the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) head be fired after reporting a decline in job growth. Hours before his comments, Trump slammed Commissioner Erika McEntarfer in a Truth Social post alleging she altered job reports to favor former Vice President Harris during the November election and said he'd given his team orders to dismiss the Biden appointee 'IMMEDIATELY.' Her departure comes three years ahead of schedule. 'We had a bad print on jobs. I did not agree on whacking the commissioner. I don't like that,' O'Leary said during a Friday appearance on CNN. 'Whacking statisticians makes no sense whatsoever. You don't shoot the messenger,' he added. O'Leary has been relatively supportive of Trump's policies, including his unprecedented global trade negotiations in recent days. However, he said there's some uncertainty surrounding markets due to outstanding deals with major U.S. partners. 'I think the market is a little concerned about major trading partners not getting deals yet. It's not a good idea to have 35 percent tariffs on Canada. We know that that's coming into place at midnight right now unless something magic happens,' O'Leary told anchor Kasie Hunt. 'So with this volatility, it's more about future earnings. But a lot of this stuff, including the trade print or the job print noise, just noise. You don't make decisions based on one print,' he added. Friday's job report touted the creation of 73,000 jobs but also lowered previously reported numbers from job growth in May and June by 200,000 citing a substantially reduced statistic than originally published. Trump slammed McEntarfer for the errors. 'Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can't be manipulated for political purposes. McEntarfer said there were only 73,000 Jobs added (a shock!) but, more importantly, that a major mistake was made by them, 258,000 Jobs downward, in the prior two months,' the president wrote. 'Similar things happened in the first part of the year, always to the negative. The Economy is BOOMING under 'TRUMP'…' he added. However, onlookers critiqued the president for slamming the BLS commissioner for the shortcomings. 'President Trump is once again destroying the credibility of our government by firing expert and nonpartisan officials because he does not like the facts that they present,' said Max Stier, the CEO of the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service told NBC News. 'Governments that go down this path find themselves in ugly territory very quickly.'
Hamilton Spectator
25 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
B.C.‘s Jobs Minister Kahlon urges Canada to ‘negotiate hard' over U.S. tariff raises
VICTORIA - British Columbia's minister of jobs and economic growth is urging the federal government to stand firm and 'negotiate hard' when trying to find a solution to 35 per cent tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump's Ravi Kahlon's advice to Prime Minister Mark Carney and his negotiating team is to keep up what they're doing, and 'find a path forward the best they can.' A statement from Premier David Eby's office says he remains focused on protecting workers and businesses in B.C. from the 'deeply harmful tariffs' imposed by Trump's administration. It says Eby supports the federal government's efforts to get a 'good deal' for Canada, adding that he looks forward to speaking to the prime minister about the situation. The United States imposed a 35 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods outside the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement on free trade after an agreement couldn't be reached by the Aug. 1 deadline. Several other jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom and the European Union, have reached deals before the deadline. Kahlon said Trump is 'constantly finding ways to raise the temperature' so 'they can squeeze out the most' from any agreement. He said he believes Carney and Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc are taking the right approach, 'which is keeping their head down, continue to be at the table, continue to find solutions, and not getting distracted by the day-to-day swings of the president of the United States.' He said he would also highlight the importance of the softwood lumber industry for B.C., which is just as crucial as the auto industry is to Ontario. 'The forest sector here in British Columbia should get the same support,' Kahlon said. Both Eby and Kahlon have repeatedly argued that the long-running softwood lumber dispute with the United States should be part of a larger deal. Brian Menzies, executive director of the Independent Wood Processors Association of British Columbia, said he is 'not very optimistic' that a future deal would also resolve the softwood dispute as the industry already faces combined tariffs and duties of almost 35 per cent. 'We have been at this for eight years now, and there doesn't seem to be enough of a push on the American side to resolve this,' he said. Menzies also favours ongoing negotiations with the United States to resolve the tariff dispute. 'I would say it's better to get a good deal than a bad deal,' he said. 'I'd say right now, 'Do your best to stand up for what's important for Canada,'' he said. Menzies said being 'kowtowed and pushed over' is not good for Canada or the United States. 'People respect people who stand up for what's important to them, and that's the basis for any negotiation,' Menzies said. Menzies noted that any future deal with the United States might not last long, given Trump's temperament. Kahlon agreed. 'We take nothing for granted,' he said. 'It's a sad state for us in Canada to have a partner down south that doesn't honour a handshake, an agreement,' he said. 'It's hard to do business with somebody that is hard to trust when these things come.' Kahlon added that even the United Kingdom and the European Union are not sure if they actually have agreements with the United States. 'So the uncertainty continues,' he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
