Steve Cortes, founder of the League of American Workers, has criticized the Obama Presidential Center for what he describes as excessive spending and poor planning. His comments were made in his new documentary, "Exposing Obama," and shared on X.
"The Obama Library is a monument to megalomania," said Cortes. "It's giant, hideous, years behind schedule, and costs nearly $1 Billion! See my short film EXPOSING OBAMA."
The Obama Presidential Center, located in Chicago's Jackson Park, is now expected to open in spring 2026. The project's budget has increased to $615 million, with construction delays pushing back the original 2025 timeline. According to Engineering News-Record, weather-related setbacks and changes in project scope have contributed to these delays. The 19.3-acre complex will include a museum, forum, and a branch of the Chicago Public Library.
The Obama Foundation's audited financial statements for 2024 reveal that "construction in progress" amounted to $615.7 million as of December 31, 2024. The foundation reported total assets of $1.1 billion and net assets of $1.07 billion for that year. Contributions reached $191 million while expenses totaled $93.6 million, highlighting the extensive fundraising efforts behind the project.
Compared to previous presidential libraries, the Obama Presidential Center has already surpassed historical budgets. The Washington Post reports that Bill Clinton's center cost approximately $165 million in 2004 and George W. Bush's raised $500 million before its completion in 2013. Obama's project exceeds both in terms of funding and scale, reflecting a broader trend of rising construction costs and extended timelines for modern presidential sites.
Cortes is also known as a senior political advisor to CatholicVote and a former senior advisor to President Trump and JD Vance. He frequently contributes as a commentator for Fox News and CNN and releases documentaries and columns on cortesinvestigates.com.
Alerts Sign-up