President Donald Trump is expected to be absent from a major event in Chicago this summer, as former President Barack Obama prepares to open his long-awaited presidential center.
The Obama Presidential Center’s grand opening celebration will begin in June 2026. Located in Jackson Park, the center will consist of a museum and a public space honoring Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama.
According to reports, the space in Chicago will be open to the public from June 19. However, Trump has reportedly not been invited to the dedication ceremony scheduled for June 18.
Obama and Trump have a history of tense relations and not seeing eye to eye for over a decade. Despite the leaders often showcasing a cordial relationship, Trump has mocked Obama’s leadership style on several occasions.
View this post on Instagram
During his first term, Trump withdrew from Obama’s 2015 Iran nuclear deal and the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement and heavily criticized them. Ironically, years later, on February 28, 2026, under Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. and Israel launched what officials described as one of their most important attacks on Iran in decades.
Meanwhile, speaking in Miami on November 5, 2025, Trump made fun of Obama’s library in Chicago. “He built it in not a particularly good location. He’s not into real estate — he doesn’t understand location,” Trump said.
The campus in Chicago will include a museum tower, public plaza, library/multi-use building, forum, event space and access to park and transit infrastructure. It will also feature extensive material from the Obama administration that will be available online.
The first ceremony will include several former U.S. presidents, with George W. Bush confirming his attendance to honor the 44th president. The celebration after the inauguration will continue until June 21 with a series of events that bring together people from different walks of life.
In an online social media post, Obama said visitors to the museum building will see the words “You Are America” — a phrase from a speech he delivered in Selma, during the 50th anniversary of the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
View this post on Instagram
“They’re meant to honor the men and women who came before us, and to inspire the next generation to be messengers of hope,” he added.
Obama also said the center will represent a different concept than what we see in a basic presidential library. Instead of focusing only on archival materials, the project was designed as a community-centered campus to support and uplift the Jackson Park neighborhood.
The location holds personal significance for the Obamas. It is near where Obama began his political career after winning the election to the Illinois state Senate in 1996, and is also the neighborhood where Michelle grew up.
View this post on Instagram
Michelle and Barack first met in 1989, and after a few years together, they married in 1992. At that time, Barack was an intern, and Michelle was preparing to become a corporate lawyer in Chicago.
The couple has focused on the Obama Foundation and the development of the Obama Presidential Center in recent years. After a successful political stint, they have shifted their focus to mentoring, entrepreneurship ventures and civic engagement, rather than returning to elected office.
