George W. Bush Is Invited To The Opening Of The Obama Presidential Center, Trump Not Invited

Much like his legendary 2008 presidential campaign, the former president continues to push the narrative of “hope” to the American people, highlighting the feeling visitors may feel upon arrival.

The guest list and date for the opening of the Obama Presidential Center have been set and there is a prominent name missing.

The opening ceremony is scheduled to take place on June 18, with the public opening scheduled for June 19, known as Juneteenth. People reported that the guest list includes former Republican President George W. Bush, but not President Donald Trump.

The March 7 announcement came from the first Black President and First Lady via Instagram, holding importance as the anniversary of the civil rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, and with increased anticipation since the project’s September 2021 Chicago groundbreaking. In the post, Obama reminisced about some words visitors will see when they look up. “When visitors look up at the Obama Presidential Center’s Museum building, they’ll see three words: ‘You are America.’ Those words come from a speech I gave in Selma on the 50th anniversary of the March across the Edmund Pettus Bridge,” he said.

“They’re meant to honor the men and women who came before us, and to inspire the next generation to be messengers of hope.”

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While Trump isn’t invited to the opening center, he’s not banned from ever making a visit. Former Obama White House adviser and Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett said he’s welcomed to visit. “As I said, this is really a chance for us to celebrate with the people who joined President Obama on this journey, the ordinary people who did extraordinary things,” Jarrett said, according to Fox News.

“So, no, but I will say, I hasten to add, that after we open to the public, should President Trump want to come and tour the center, President Obama would be delighted for him to do so.”

Much like his legendary 2008 presidential campaign, the former president and Illinois state leader continues to push the narrative of “hope” to the American people, highlighting the feeling visitors of the presidential center, featuring a museum, new library branch, and more, may get upon arrival. “It is easy to look around right now and feel like the challenges we face are simply too big. But hope is not about ignoring the hard stuff,” Obama said.

“It is that thing inside us that insists something better awaits if we are willing to work for it.”

The center pays homage to the couple’s public service legacy and their love story. Michelle Obama referred to it as “a way of giving back to the community that has given us so much. “But it’s more than that, too. It’s a tribute to the big-hearted, open-armed people and communities who have defined this city — and buoyed our family through thick and thin,” the best-selling author wrote.

“It’s a launchpad for the next generation of young leaders who are going to change the world.”

Tickets will be available in May, with pricing aligning with other Chicago cultural institutions.

Social media users celebrated the opening, thanking and missing the Obamas leadership and announcing plans to visit.