Former President George W. Bush joined Democratic former Presidents Joe Biden and Bill Clinton (and their spouses) at the grand opening and dedication ceremony of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on June 18. The only living President not invited to the ceremony was Donald Trump.
Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden, alongside former first ladies, pose for a photo at the opening ceremony of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago today.
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) June 18, 2026
Trump was not invited. pic.twitter.com/M8LbEg2sgo
Trump responded to the grand opening with divisiveness on social media: “The Obama Library ten years from now will be a ‘Mecca’ for those who hate America!”
The President of the United States also posted an image of a giant trash can and captioned it, “The Obama Presidential Library.”
President Bush, who did not endorse a candidate in the 2024 presidential election, is encouraging Americans to unite and to get more involved in politics. He recently said on the Today show: “One of the things about the 250th is the chance to focus on the common good.”
Citing freedoms Americans have long considered their birthright, he added, “The fact that you can worship freely without government telling you how to worship. The fact that you can speak in a public square without being jailed. The fact that we have a press that’s willing to hold the powerful to account. These are all the things that should and generally do unite us.”
President Bush's message on America 250.
— Reggie B. (@reggiebblue) July 3, 2026
"One of the things about the 250th is the fact that you can worship freely without the government telling you how to worship, speak in a public square without being jailed, a press that's willing to hold the powerful to account.
If you… pic.twitter.com/m6LAeeRorx
President Bush added, “One of the things I’m going to do during the 250th is to encourage citizens to participate in the process. And if you don’t like what’s going on, vote.” He added, “Be a citizen, not a spectator.”
Numerous Americans on X responded to Bush’s optimistic comments with criticism. One replied: “I am a W fan but that’s some milquetoast [expletive].”
Questioning whether Bush’s list of freedoms still applied, another wrote: “People participate in the process when they protest. Today however, you will get tased, pepper sprayed and assaulted by the police. This is not free speech and Bush is living in his own fantasy world. Where is the America he’s referring to?”
