Former President Barack Obama spoke at the Presidential Center in Chicago about his vision for America moving on from Donald Trump.
References to Trump were only speculated at Obama Center dedication ceremony
The dedication ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center was a bipartisan event, with Presidents Biden, Clinton, and Bush in attendance. Trump wasn’t like that.
From left to right: Joe Biden and Jill Biden. Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. George W. Bush and Laura Bush. And Bill and Hillary Clinton. Not pictured and not invited: President Donald and First Lady Melania Trump.
The photo, taken on June 18 at the opening celebration of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago and posted to President Obama’s official social media accounts, was a reminder of a different America. The country has changed dramatically in the decade since President Obama left office in 2017.
In a 30-minute speech, President Obama offered veiled criticism of President Trump to the nation and to the A-list audience, which ranged from Oprah Winfrey to Bruce Springsteen. His lectures seemed to be aimed at an audience of millions and an audience of one. As President Trump faces rising disapproval ratings, he laid out his vision for the nation after the current White House.
“I don’t think this is a story of America ultimately winning,” President Obama said, one of hope and change rather than anger and doubt.
“I don’t believe that, because after all the cynicism and division this country has experienced, for us to give up now, to give in now, would be a betrayal of our founding principles, a betrayal of our faith,” Obama added.
Obama Presidential Center opens on June 19th
Obama told the story of his rise as his wife and two daughters, Sasha, now 25, and Malia, 27, looked on. He came to Chicago at age 23 to organize and years later made history as the country’s first black president.
President Obama found the promise of the American Dream in Chicago, he said. Since leaving the White House in 2017, the former president has been hesitant to weigh in on policy debates as Democrats struggle to find a suitable successor.
A CNN poll released on the same day as President Obama’s speech found that 57% of Americans view him positively. According to a poll conducted by the national research organization SSRS, 34% of people view Mr. Trump favorably, while Mr. Biden, President Obama’s vice president, lags behind both at 30%.
He noted that Americans have witnessed economic struggles, a pandemic, racial protests and subsequent backlash, war, and an AI revolution. But algorithms and online anger are fueling political factionalism.
In July 2004, the freshman Illinois state senator delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. Known for his speeches, he flipped the Democratic presidential race four years later in 2008, defeating the former first lady who later served as secretary of state and celebrated the opening of the presidential center.
The Obama Presidential Center will open to the public in Chicago on Juneteenth, June 19th.
