Trump Offers to Fix Obama’s Out-of-Control, Woke Library Project [WATCH]

President Donald Trump offered on Tuesday to assist with the troubled Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, calling the project a “disaster” as it continues to face construction delays, massive cost overruns, and mounting criticism related to its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.

Speaking at the White House alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, President Trump criticized the center’s management while referencing his own experience with large-scale construction projects completed “on time, on budget.” He said he would be willing to help if asked.

“Look, President Obama, if he wanted help, I’d give him help because I’m a really good builder and I build on time, on budget,” Trump said.

“He’s building his library in Chicago. It’s a disaster.”

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Originally projected to cost $350 million, the Obama Presidential Center’s budget ballooned to $830 million by 2021. No updated estimates have been released since then.

Trump made the comments while addressing the Biden-Harris administration’s CHIPS Act and its DEI provisions.

He transitioned into the discussion of the Obama Center, linking its cost and construction problems to a focus on DEI rather than merit-based hiring.

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“[Obama] said something to the effect, ‘I only want DEI, I only want woke,’” Trump said.

“He wants woke people to build it. Well, he got woke people and they have massive cost overruns. A job is stopped. I don’t know, it’s a disaster. And I don’t like that happening because it’s bad for the presidency that a thing like that should happen.”

The 19.3-acre site is located on Chicago’s South Side and will include a 225-foot museum tower, a digital presidential library, conference space, an NBA regulation court, and a gymnasium.

The project has emphasized hiring minority-based enterprises, pledging that at least 35% of its contracts go to such businesses.

Earlier this year, a $40.75 million lawsuit was filed by a minority-owned contractor against the project’s structural engineer.

The complaint alleged racial discrimination, while the engineering firm argued the contractor lacked the required qualifications and experience, causing construction delays.

The Obama Foundation is not named as a defendant in that lawsuit.

Trump said the project is paying the price for prioritizing DEI initiatives over proven experience.

“He wanted to be very politically correct and he didn’t use good, hard, tough, mean construction workers,” Trump said, addressing Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“He wanted people that never did it before and he’s got a disaster in his hands. Many millions of dollars over budget.”

Trump added that he would be willing to recommend experienced professionals to help get the center back on track.

The Obama Foundation responded to the criticism through its vice president of communications, Emily Bittner, who defended the project’s progress and vision.

She said the center continues to move forward and will open in 2026.

“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,” Bittner told Fox News Digital.

“We look forward to welcoming all visitors to the 19.3-acre campus next spring.”

Bittner stated the project is privately funded and not paid for by taxpayers. She also said the lawsuit involving the minority contractor had no impact on the center’s timeline.

The Obama Presidential Center will include a digital library rather than a traditional physical one, unlike most past presidential libraries which are federally funded and size-regulated.

Obama’s existing presidential library, currently located in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, is expected to be moved to College Park, Maryland, later this year.

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