Chicago, June 19, 2026
Former US President Barack Obama criticised US President Donald Trump during the the opening ceremony of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, without mentioning him by name.
A US presidential center is a complex dedicated to a former president’s legacy, which typically includes a museum, educational facilities, public programs, and an archive of presidential records. Most US presidents have one.
Reflecting on history, Obama emphasised the American ideal of “no kings or lords, no serfs or subjects,” echoing the “No King” protests and marches that have taken place across the country in recent months, Xinhua news agency reported.
He also indirectly criticised Trump’s immigration policy by praising residents in Minneapolis, state of Minnesota, saying they “braved frigid temperatures, risking their own safety, standing shoulder to shoulder to look out for their neighbours, and sometimes look out for strangers, because they knew that was the right thing to do.”
Obama expressed the hope that the newly opened center will affirm “how precious our democracy truly is”.
Obama first came to Chicago in 1985 at the age of 23 as a community organiser. In his speech, he reflected on how he met his wife, started his family, and began his political life not far from the site of the presidential center.
Michelle Obama, who grew up and started her earlier career on Chicago’s South Side, also delivered a speech praising her husband’s optimism, brilliance, work ethic, moral courage and achievements.
She added that “no one, I mean no one, has the right to judge who’s American enough.”
Former US presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Joe Biden and their wives attended the ceremony, which drew thousands of attendees. President Trump was not invited, according to local media reports.
Obama Presidential Center will open to the public on Friday. (Agency)
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