Overview
- Taking Oval Office questions on Tuesday, President Trump said the Obama Presidential Center is closed and out of money, and he asserted Obama chose to hire only women and DEI-focused teams.
- Reporting places the project’s price tag near $850 million after earlier estimates in the hundreds of millions.
- Construction has faced delays and legal fights since the 2021 groundbreaking, with lawsuits and neighborhood opposition tied to the South Side footprint.
- The 225-foot, obelisk-like museum design has drawn online mockery, including a Death Star comparison amplified by Sen. Ted Cruz.
- The center will not house physical presidential records on-site, with the National Archives storing them elsewhere and digital copies planned at the site, a setup some historians question; the Washington Examiner reports the opening is expected in spring 2026.