May 7, 2025
Trump Uses Time With Canadian Prime Minister To Take Shots At Barack Obama’s Presidential Center
Trump claims the 19-acre project is "millions of dollars, like many, many — I mean, really, millions of dollars over budget."
CBS News reports that during an Oval Office meeting with Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney, President Donald Trump mocked former President Barack Obama’s new Presidential Center in Chicago, blaming “woke” construction workers.
The discussion targeted the growing tariff war and mending the relationship between the neighboring countries, with Carney telling Trump to his face that Canada is “not for sale” and “won’t be for sale, ever.” Then, during the meeting, Trump pivoted to attack the presidential center being built in the Windy City’s Jackson Park, claiming construction delays due to DEI and “woke” construction workers. “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,” the 47th President said.
“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.”
The accusations come from the project’s emphasis on hiring local and minority-owned companies. According to USA Today, the Obama Foundation announced that approximately 35% of subcontractors would be minority-owned businesses, 15% women-owned, and 9% local to the Chicago area before breaking ground.
Trump claims the 19-acre project is “millions of dollars, like many, many — I mean, really, millions of dollars over budget,” and described the project ran into problems because the former president “wanted to be very politically correct and he didn’t use good, hard, tough, mean construction workers that I love.”
“He wanted people that, like, never did it before, and he’s got a disaster on his hands,” the indicted President said.
However, the claims are false according to images on social media and a spokesperson from the Foundation, who said Trump may be referring to “a relatively common dispute between two subcontractors over work that has already been completed.”
The organization says all is well with the project and looks forward to everyone experiencing it. “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,” the statement read.
“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.”
Plans for the Presidential Center include a forum for local and international gatherings, a community athletic center, a walking trail, a great lawn, a sledding hill, and a playground. While the project was initially scheduled to open in 2021, officials announced plans to open it in 2026.
Supporters of the privately funded project push it as a boost to economic development. The project aims to revitalize the historic public park on Chicago’s South Side and generate $3 billion in economic activity.
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