In classic Donald Trump fashion, the former president on Tuesday lobbed a politically charged critique—then offered his own brand of help. Standing alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, President Trump offered to step in and assist with the long-delayed, over-budget Obama Presidential Center, currently under construction on Chicago’s South Side.
“Look, President Obama, if he wanted help, I’d give him help because I’m a really good builder and I build on time, on budget,” Trump declared. “He’s building his library in Chicago. It’s a disaster.”
Trump’s comments followed a broader critique of the Biden administration’s CHIPS Act and its built-in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) mandates. Pivoting to the Obama Center, Trump linked DEI hiring practices to the project’s ballooning costs and delays.
“[Obama] said something like, ‘I only want DEI, I only want woke,’” Trump alleged. “Well, he got woke people and they have massive cost overruns… It’s bad for the presidency that a thing like that should happen.”
Originally budgeted at $350 million, the Obama Presidential Center had reached a staggering $830 million by 2021, and updated figures have yet to be publicly released. Construction remains ongoing at the 19.3-acre Jackson Park site, which will feature a 225-foot museum tower, digital library, conference spaces, and even a full-size NBA court.
From the beginning, the Obama Foundation touted its commitment to racial equity in contracting, setting a 35% benchmark for minority-based enterprise (MBE) participation. That emphasis has recently come under legal scrutiny, with a $40.75 million lawsuit filed by a minority contractor alleging racial bias in being removed from the project by the structural engineer, who cited lack of experience.
Trump seized on the episode as proof that prioritizing “wokeness” over experience has backfired:
“He didn’t use good, hard, tough, mean construction workers that I love,” Trump said. “He wanted people that never did it before. Now he’s got a disaster in his hands.”
The Obama Foundation responded swiftly. Emily Bittner, the Foundation’s VP of Communications, rejected Trump’s claims, calling them inaccurate and emphasizing that the Foundation is not a party to the contractor lawsuit. She stressed that the project remains on track for a Spring 2026 opening and is funded entirely through private donations—not taxpayers.
“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,” Bittner said.
She added that the site is staffed daily by hundreds of construction workers, signaling continued momentum toward completion.
Trump’s offer to help, while framed with his signature braggadocio, walks the line between trolling and a genuine flex of his construction credentials. With a business career built around high-profile towers and luxury developments, Trump clearly relished the opportunity to contrast his own record with what he framed as Obama’s floundering legacy project.
Coinciding with renewed media attention on the presidential center, Michelle Obama also made headlines this week by revealing that she has returned to therapy as she enters what she calls a new, more independent phase of life.
Speaking on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, the former First Lady, now 61, described the “tune-up” as a chance to confront old guilt, recalibrate her relationships, and finally make decisions for herself—not for her kids, her husband, or the country.
“It’s the first time in my life all of my choices are for me,” she said. “This couldn’t be a grown woman just making a set of decisions herself, right?”
Michelle’s comments touch on the intense scrutiny she still faces post-White House and offer a deeply personal contrast to the public headlines surrounding the Obamas—one that centers not on politics or concrete but on growth, reflection, and reclaiming identity.
