Obama Opens His Center With A Warning About America’s Future

CHICAGO — President Donald Trump was conspicuously absent from Thursday’s dedication of the Obama Presidential Center, the only living commander in chief not in attendance. But the Obamas made a point Thursday of delivering a pointed rebuke of the man who succeeded them in the White House — all while refusing to mention him by name.

In a tribute to her husband that brought Barack Obama to tears, Michelle Obama called out those who spread "the lies about your birthright, your patriotism," omitting any mention of then-businessperson Donald Trump’s starring role in amplifying those narratives.

And during his half-hour speech, the former president’s biggest applause lines targeted issues that have drawn scrutiny of the Trump administration, including that the founders of the United States declared “there will be no kings or lords.”

“People are looking for fairness and common sense and mutual respect. Deep in our gut, we want to find a way to turn toward each other again, not further away,” he said.

Obama spoke of an independent judiciary, a robust free press and that allegiance should not be “to any presidents or political parties but to the people and our constitution.”

Asked for comment about the Obamas' decision not to invite the current president, a White House spokesperson pointed to Trump’s recent Truth Social posts, including one in which he described the new presidential center as a garbage dump.

The Obamas’ comments came during a nearly three-hour program that saw allied celebrities Bruce Springsteen, Bono and Chicago-native Jennifer Hudson perform.

The ceremony brought together a who's who of Democratic politics, Obama administration veterans and longtime allies. Three former presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Joe Biden — attended, as did their spouses, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Celebrities, civic leaders, political leaders and donors filled out the crowd, including Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, film producers George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, actor Tom Hanks and billionaire Lukas Walton.

"It's unfortunate that Trump has been the way he's been to justify — not my opinion — not inviting him to this. I mean, the insults, which have continued. … He's operated totally outside the way previous presidents have. So he probably wouldn't want to be here anyways," said Bill Daley, Obama's former chief of staff.

Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, another Obama chief of staff, noted simply: "It's not exactly like they’re Facebook friends or buddies.”

Trump's absence called attention to the deep political and personal animosity that has defined the relationship Obama and Trump have had for more than a decade.

The long-awaited opening caps years of planning and construction on the city’s South Side, with supporters envisioning it as both a national cultural destination as well as a gathering place for local residents.

Inside the museum, early visitors have described an experience that is centered on Obama-era policies. Exhibits call attention to the Voting Rights Act, the negotiation and entry into the Paris climate accord and efforts to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba.

They're all policy milestones that have since been reversed under the Trump administration, including the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, the rollback of diplomatic engagement with Cuba, and the Supreme Court, heavily populated by Trump appointees, recently limiting the Voting Rights Act.

Arne Duncan, Obama's former Education secretary, shrugged when asked about the decision not to invite Trump.

"This is for people who are part of the journey" of Obama's presidency, Duncan said. "He wasn't part of the journey."

Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood, who served in the Obama administration as a senior adviser at the Department of Health and Human Services, argued that Trump would have been out of place at an event meant to celebrate Obama's legacy. And Rep. Mike Quigley, whose congressional district includes the Obama Center campus and who is considering challenging Johnson to be Chicago’s mayor, took his own swipe at the president.

"I don't think of myself as a petty person, but the fact that everybody canceled on his crappy little [Freedom 250] event and everybody wants to be here gives me some sense of satisfaction in an otherwise dark time," Quigley said.