Obama Center Opening Mocked: “So You Just Went Ahead And Built On That Land Anyway, Huh”
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The Obama Presidential Center opened with a stolen land acknowledgment.
Valerie Jarrett, chief executive officer of the Obama Foundation, said, “We’d also like to take a moment to recognize the original inhabitants of the land upon which we are gathered today…We honor the Anishinaabe, the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi nations.”
The Obama center opening opens with a land acknowledgement:
“We honor the Anishinaabe, the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi Nations.” pic.twitter.com/aR9oM8Ee2t
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 18, 2026
The long-delayed and over-budget Obama Presidential Center opened Thursday in Chicago with a stolen land acknowledgment.
“We’d also like to take a moment to recognize the original inhabitants of the land upon which we are gathered today,” Valerie Jarrett, chief executive officer of the Obama Foundation, said. “We honor the Anishinaabe, the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi nations.”
…
A who’s who of liberal donors and political elites attended the opening ceremony, including former Presidents Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush; their First Ladies; and former Vice President Kamala Harris. Video circulating on social media showed some of the attendees dancing to music, while former First Lady Laura Bush remained seated.
The opening was mocked for this.
Some pointed to the hypocrisy it shows.
The grand opening of the Obama Center was quickly mocked after organisers kicked off proceedings with a land acknowledgement.
…
Many questioned why Democrats were celebrating the land while simultaneously claiming it once belonged to others.
Conservative commentators argued the acknowledgement highlighted what they see as hypocrisy within progressive politics.
The Heritage Foundation asked, “When are they giving it back?”
But as many keen online observers noted, Democrats hosting the Obama Presidential Center’s grand opening have no intention of returning the land to the people they believe are its rightful owners.
“Wouldn’t they prefer you just give them their land back?” conservative commentator Steve Deace asked sarcastically.
“Land acknowledgements are funny because the real message is ‘I want to say I care, but I don’t really care or I wouldn’t have built this on land which I just said is yours,’” said Beth Anne Mumford of Americans for Prosperity.
“So you just went ahead and built on that land anyway, huh,” said conservative commentator Stephen Miller
When are they giving it back? https://t.co/pnOwKipaoC
— Heritage Foundation (@Heritage) June 18, 2026
The project was a $850 million project with an additonal $350 million being split between the city and state.
The ceremony marked the official opening of the Chicago presidential center, which requires proof of Illinois residence for free admission. The privately-funded $850 million project included an additional $350 million in infrastructure costs, a charge split between the city and state.
