The Obama Presidential Center is extending an unexpected invitation to President Trump to tour the new museum on Chicago's South Side before its official opening next month, despite Trump's recent blistering attacks on the project.
Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation, told USA Today during a media preview this week that the center would welcome Trump for a personal tour. “When our visitors come, they will see a spectacular campus,” Jarrett said. “If Trump would like to come and visit it himself, we would welcome him and give him a tour.”
The invitation comes after Trump took to Truth Social on February 22 to denounce the center, writing: “Illinois is spending hundreds of millions of dollars trying to bail out Obama’s badly delayed and tremendously over-budget ‘library.’ The neighborhood is ANGRY AS HELL. It is a total disaster!” In May, Trump also shared an edited image depicting the center as a trash bag in a garbage can.
The center, which cost approximately $850 million and took roughly a decade to complete, includes a ticketed museum, a civic center, a cafe and restaurant, gardens, an athletic center, and a branch of the Chicago Public Library. It is set to open to the public on June 19, which coincides with the Juneteenth holiday.
The invitation is a notable gesture from the Obama Foundation, given the history of sharp political exchanges between Trump and former President Barack Obama. Trump has frequently criticized Obama’s legacy and policies, while Obama has been a vocal critic of Trump’s tenure.
Jarrett’s offer also comes as Trump continues to make headlines on other fronts. The president recently expanded his drug price platform with 160 new medications and touted his tariff strategy, while also celebrating the May jobs report as a sign of a hot economy, even as voters still feel squeezed by inflation.
Political analysts see the invitation as a potential olive branch, but also as a strategic move to demonstrate openness and unity ahead of the center’s opening. Whether Trump will accept remains unclear; his schedule is packed with campaign events and policy battles, including a brewing budget fight that has exposed rifts among GOP senators.
The Obama Presidential Center has been a source of controversy since its inception, with delays and cost overruns drawing criticism from local residents and political opponents. However, foundation officials argue the center will be a transformative asset for the South Side, providing jobs, educational opportunities, and a major tourist destination.
