Indeed, we do throw things away.
Former President Barack Obama’s high-profile new presidential center is facing criticism with humorous comparisons to various cultural icons, including the Death Star and large garbage bins, following a social media thread initiated by Senator Ted Cruz.
Cruz (R-TX) took to X on Tuesday and remarked, “Locating the Death Star in Chicago was a bold move” while sharing a video showcasing ongoing developments at Obama’s Chicago center.
The center, a concrete and granite structure that stands 225 feet tall in Chicago’s Jackson Park, has attracted jokes and ridicule ever since its design was revealed nearly a decade ago. Following Cruz’s remarks, the social media commentary intensified.
Many users posted videos featuring “Star Wars” X-Wing fighters targeting the center, while others creatively edited the building to resemble the torsos of massive AT-AT walkers.
In addition, images of the Eye of Sauron from the “Lord of the Rings” franchise were altered to appear atop its roof, while others simply included pictures of the iconic Easter Island heads.
Comparisons also included items like cat litter boxes, regular trash bins, dumpsters, and references from “Star Trek” and “A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.”
One commentator quipped, “It’s an ‘obamanation’! Just like his presidency!”
Another chimed in, “It’s as if someone attempted to assemble a Lego structure without following any instructions.”
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Other frequent analogies included prisons, power plants, and Jenga towers.
One user even attached the album cover of Who’s “Who’s Next,” showcasing the band around a huge concrete pillar in a desolate landscape.
“That’s no library…” tweeted another, artfully linking a famous “Star Wars” line with the center’s perplexing purpose.
Notably, the structure will not function as a traditional presidential library. Instead, it will be labeled a “presidential center.”
Unlike typical presidential libraries, it won’t house physical presidential records.
Rather, the facility will offer access to digital files from Obama’s time in office, advocating this approach as the logical choice given that most communications from his administration were digital in nature.
This donor-funded nonprofit center is also experiencing financial challenges, with its budget ballooning from an initial $500 million estimate to a staggering $830 million.
The center is not expected to open until the spring of 2026.
