Former US leaders, Hollywood stars flock to Obama Center, noticeably minus the ex-President Trump

On June 18, 2026, former US presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton gathered in Chicago, Illinois, for the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center, marking a rare occasion when the country's former leaders came together in one place.

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This high-profile event was attended by all living US ex-presidents, with the notable exception of current White House occupant Donald Trump, who was absent from the ceremony.

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The modernistic center, which celebrates 64-year-old Obama's legacy as the first Black president, will open to the public on Friday, following a star-studded lineup on Thursday that included celebrities such as Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Oprah Winfrey.

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Thursday's event also featured performances by renowned artists Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, and hip-hop band The Roots, adding to the excitement and glamour of the occasion.

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The presence of Republican George W. Bush and Democrats Bill Clinton and Joe Biden on stage, alongside Obama, his wife Michelle Obama, and their daughters Sasha and Malia, underscored the significance of the event, despite Trump's absence.

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Trump's decision not to attend was seen as a reflection of the extraordinary divisions of the current era, with the 80-year-old Republican often launching criticism and personal insults at Obama, breaking the informal truce traditionally observed within the presidents' club.

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Illinois Senator Dick Durbin expressed his disappointment at the acrimonious environment in Washington, saying, "I'm so disappointed we've reached this point," and emphasizing the need for bipartisanship.

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Durbin also praised President Bush for making the event a bipartisan salute to Barack Obama and Michelle, saying, "I'm honored that President Bush would make this a bipartisan salute to Barack Obama and Michelle," and adding, "We need to get back in that spirit again, and we can, America can get through this and come together."

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The gathering also drew foreign guests, including former Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi and former German chancellor Angela Merkel, who joined the US leaders in celebrating the opening of the presidential center.

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Hundreds of Chicagoans watched from a distance on the Midway Plaisance, a mile-long park stretching past the University of Chicago, where Obama once taught law, as the city played host to the former president's complex.

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Chicago's South Side, where Obama cut his political teeth as a community organizer in the 1980s, played a prominent role in his career, and the neighborhood will now host the former president's complex, featuring an NBA-sized basketball court and a 225-foot tall granite tower housing his museum.

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Obama's complex, which includes a sprawling playground and a public library, will enshrine his core message of "hope," according to Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation and a former top White House aide during his presidency.

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Unlike the other 15 official US presidential libraries around the country, the $850 million center will store archives digitally instead of having physical copies, showcasing a futuristic approach to preserving history.

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The futuristic architecture of the center has drawn a range of reactions, from astonishment to criticism, with Trump comparing it to a trash can, while more generous critics have called the building the "Obamalisk" and compared it to a "Star Wars" spaceship.