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President Donald Trump went on a baseless rant about former President Barack Obama's Presidential Center in Chicago, calling it a "disaster" and criticizing the "woke people" who are constructing it.
On Tuesday (May 4), Trump took aim at the Obama Presidential Center during his meeting with new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval Office.
The meeting centered around tariffs and the relations between Canada and the U.S. Trump tabled the idea of Canada joining the U.S., calling the border between the two countries "artificial." However, Carney informed Trump that Canada is "not for sale" and "won't be for sale, ever."
The conversation took a turn when Trump went on a rant about construction for the Obama Presidential Library for no apparent reason.
"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," Trump 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 president also claimed that the center was "millions of dollars, like many, many — I mean, really, millions of dollars over budget," because Obama "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," he said.
The Obama Presidential Center is set to open in 2026 on Chicago's South Side. It includes a fruit and vegetable garden, athletic and events facility, a museum, an auditorium, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, and more.
A spokesperson for the Obama Foundation said the president's comments weren't based in fact, adding that they believe Trump was referring to "a relatively common dispute between two subcontractors over work that has already been completed."
"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 foundation said in a statement. "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."
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