At the inauguration of the Obama museum, “Hollywood stars and subtle jabs at Trump”

“The Obamas inaugurate their presidential center with Hollywood stars and subtle digs at Trump… résume The Wall Street Journal. The inauguration of the museum, which opens its doors to the public this Friday, took place in the presence of the four former American presidents still alive, Barack Obama of course, Joe Biden, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Donald Trump did not receive an invitation. Obama was there in 2013 for the opening of the Bush museum in Dallas, recalls Journal.

Time saw in certain remarks by Obama, at the foot of the 70 meter tower which houses the center, a “direct criticism†à l’administration Trump, même s’il “never made explicit reference to the current president†. The 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner called for hope to preserve democracy. “It’s tempting to sink into cynicism and despair… he admitted. But by losing faith in others, “we open the door to the most ruthless or the most negligent or the most frightened among us, who see some groups and some people as more equal than others, and see government as nothing more than a way to make money.†.

He also insisted on the “shared values ​​that make democracy possible†, quoting “a faith in a system of checks and balances in our government […]in an independent judiciary, a free and robust press and the belief that our military and our police owe allegiance not to a president or a political party but to the people and our Constitution…

Politico therefore notes that, in his half-hour speech, “the former president defended the courts, the press and constitutional norms, in a stark contrast to the Trump era†. For the site specializing in Washington affairs, “Trump’s absence has drawn attention to the deep political and personal animosity that has defined the relationship between Obama and Trump for more than a decade.†.

Politically, the Paris agreement on climate, that on Iranian nuclear power or the warming of diplomatic relations with Cuba are part of the progress of the two Obama administrations on which his successor has returned. A president also very critical of the health insurance reform hard-won by Obama.

Spielberg and Bono were invited

On a personal level, there were these rumors spread by Trump about Barack Obama’s birthplace when he was still a businessman. The Washington Post notes that Michelle Obama broached the subject, also without mentioning the name of her target. “When fact and fiction mix, when people seek to limit freedom of expression, devalue diversity and erase embarrassing moments from history, when our phones vibrate non-stop in reaction to the latest scandal, I hope that this place can offer a respite from all that… declared the former first lady. “At least for a while.†She also mentioned the Nobel Prize awarded to her husband. The one that Trump has coveted for years.

While several second-rate artists have chosen to forgo the festivities organized by the Trump administration for America’s 250th anniversary, Axios lists the stars who came to attend or perform at the inauguration of the center: Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder, The Roots, or Bono, among others. “The presence of these celebrities reminds us of the extent to which Hollywood is attached to 44†, notes Deadline. The number 44 representing 44^e President of the United States, Barack Obama.

Stephen Colbert was there too. The American comedian, a recurring critic of Donald Trump, whose show The Late Show was arrested in a climate of controversy by the CBS channel, wore a light suit. A choice that owed nothing to chance, explains USA Today. It looked a lot like Obama’s in 2014, during a press conference on the Islamic State in Syria. Several media outlets then criticized the American president for a look that was unsuitable for the seriousness of the moment. This costume has become for his supporters “an example of unfair criticism†that he faced during his two mandates.

This inauguration did not impress the Trump administration in any case, reports Fox News. A spokesperson for the White House preferred to highlight the work undertaken by his boss, “the chief builder†, in Washington, to renovate the capital. The conservative channel claims that “taxpayers paid hundreds of millions of dollars for construction†roads and other public infrastructure around the Obama presidential center, the cost of which – financed by private funds – is estimated at $830 million.