Oklahoma’s Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, T.W. Shannon, criticized the newly opened Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, arguing that the project has become a flashpoint for broader debates over voter identification laws, neighborhood impacts and allegations involving unpaid contractors.
Shannon made the comments during a Friday appearance on Newsmax’s “Wake Up America” while discussing the opening of the Obama Presidential Center on Chicago’s South Side.
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The center officially opened this week in Chicago’s Jackson Park following years of planning, litigation and construction.
Supporters have hailed the project as a major economic and cultural investment for the South Side, while critics have voiced concerns about potential displacement, rising housing costs and the development’s impact on surrounding communities.
When he was asked about the opening ceremony, Shannon pointed out that one aspect underscored a point that Republicans have been making for years regarding requirements to present an ID to vote, Newsmax reported.
“First of all, I was really happy to see that they proved one point that Republicans have been saying for a very long time. Black people do have IDs,” Shannon said.
“So, you know, they require ID for everybody to get in. And it’s on the South Side of Chicago. It’s tickets are sold out through November,” he said.
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“So black people are going to see this, and they’re going to have to present an ID,” he noted further.
“So we now can end the charade that black people can’t get IDs.”
The Oklahoma official also said he was disappointed by what he perceived as a lack of gratitude at the event.
“I did watch the ceremony because I love Stevie Wonder. I knew he was performing,” Shannon said.
“But I was sad for him, you know, this country has been extraordinarily good to Michelle and Barack Obama,” he told the Newsmax morning show.
“And I’ve yet to hear a thank you,” Shannon continued.
“I hear a lot of complaints. I hear a lot of bemoaning about what hasn’t been done and what wasn’t done and what was done 400 years ago,” the GOP nominee added.
“But I haven’t heard a thank you to a country that’s been extraordinarily good, to a family that became, you know, the first family of the United States of America,” he said.
Shannon focused much of his criticism on reports that some contractors involved in the project have not been fully paid for work they performed.
Payment disputes have lingered throughout the development of the center, with several subcontractors publicly claiming they are still owed money.
Project officials, however, have disputed assertions that the Obama Foundation is directly responsible for those payments.
The center’s opening has also revived debate over its impact on nearby neighborhoods.
Supporters contend the project will generate jobs, attract visitors and spur economic growth on Chicago’s South Side.
Critics, including some local activists, have raised concerns that the development could accelerate gentrification and drive up housing costs in surrounding communities.
Shannon argued that the contractor disputes and neighborhood concerns have overshadowed what otherwise might have been a celebration of the legacy project associated with the former president.
“The saddest part is you do have contractors. A lot of them are minority and Black-owned businesses that have not been paid,” Shannon said.
“Obama should do better than that. He knows better,” he said.
Among contractors who say they are owed is Adamson Plumbing owner Mike Owen, who said his company is nearly $4 million in the red after years of work on the library.
“That is a hole that no subcontractor, small business can survive,” Owen said, adding that the financial losses have sapped the company’s reserves, have led to unease among work staff, and could eventually lead to lay-offs.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
