by WorldTribune Staff, June 21, 2026 Non-AI Real World News
The Obama Presidential Center and the Trump International Hotel and Tower are both in Chicago. They both cost around $850 million to build. A Democrat built one. A Republican the other.
The results say a lot:
Obama Presidential Center: A $850 million tribute to the 44th U.S. President. It covers 19.3 acres, features a 225-foot museum tower, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, community spaces, and gardens.
Trump International Hotel and Tower: A $847 million commercial skyscraper. At 92 stories and 1,389 feet tall, it is one of the tallest buildings in the city, packed with private luxury condos, restaurants, and a hotel.
Here’s a look at the buildings side-by-side:

Bonus: Bill Maher said the Obama Center “looks like something aliens built in Dubai.”
Bill Maher mocked the Obama Presidential Center as a billion-dollar monument to ego. Ro Khanna had the better answer.
“It’s a unique story of the possibility in this country of someone who had no shot. When I was in law school, they said to me, your Indian-American, you’re of… pic.twitter.com/mJ84IRfu5E
— Blue Georgia (@BlueGeorgia) June 20, 2026