Full story
Land message and backlash
The Obama Presidential Center in Chicago is embedding an “Acknowledging Indigenous Peoples' Land and Territory” display that says the Obama Foundation acknowledges “the sovereign Indigenous peoples who have, since time immemorial, inhabited and stewarded the lands many of us call home.”
“CHICAGO – Following its Juneteenth opening, the Obama Presidential Center is embracing a message tied to one of the modern left's most contentious ideas: that America was built on land "stolen" from Indians”
Fox News reports that Illinois GOP Chair Bob Grogan told Fox News Digital outside the Center that “People here in future years are going to hear about how this land was stolen from the Native Americans,” and argued the display should be read as land “stolen from the citizens of Illinois.”
Fox News says the criticism centers on a yearslong legal and political battle over the transfer of 19.3 acres of Jackson Park public land to the Obama Foundation under a 99-year agreement requiring the one-time $10 payment.
Fox News also reports that Grogan linked the land fight to broader controversy around the Center, including construction costs approaching $1 billion and an Obama Foundation pledge to build a $470 million endowment fund.
The Fox News article says the Obama Foundation did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Maher urges Democrats
Bill Maher, host of HBO’s “Real Time,” told Democrats to stop “partisan sulking” as the country ramps up for America’s 250th anniversary and the annual Fourth of July celebration.
Maher said, “You can’t take back the flag in an hour if the rest of the time you treat patriotism as something vaguely embarrassing,” referring to the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
The New York Post reports that Maher’s closing commentary came as Trump vowed to go big this year for America’s 250th anniversary, while many Democrats refused to participate, citing their unhappiness with President Donald Trump.
The article cites a Reuters/Ipsos survey conducted June 12–15 among 1,537 U.S. adults showing 64% of Republicans would display an American flag or flag bunting outside their home this July 4, compared with just 27% of Democrats.
Maher urged viewers to “Go to the party. It’s a big celebration,” and added, “This country’s 3.8 million square miles — and that’s without Greenland.”
Competing narratives of America
In Chicago, the Obama Presidential Center’s permanent display frames the land acknowledgement as a recognition of Indigenous stewardship, while critics highlighted by Fox News argue the message masks a different story about who should be considered the rightful stakeholders.
“CHICAGO – Following its Juneteenth opening, the Obama Presidential Center is embracing a message tied to one of the modern left's most contentious ideas: that America was built on land "stolen" from Indians”
Fox News quotes Grogan saying, “But underneath, you should all be reading into this, that it was actually stolen from the citizens of Illinois, not from the Native Americans,” as he tied the dispute to the $10 transfer and the 99-year agreement.
Separately, the New York Post presents Maher’s argument that Democrats should not treat the Fourth of July as a partisan grievance, with Maher saying, “The left half of the country fears he’ll make the anniversary about him,” and adding, “Of course he will.”
The New York Post also reports Maher’s claim that “The message that most threatens authoritarians isn’t ‘America sucks.’ It’s ‘America is ours too,’” as he urged Democrats to come together for the holiday.
Taken together, the two articles depict a U.S. debate over how Americans should interpret national symbols and anniversaries, with Fox News focusing on the Center’s land narrative and the New York Post focusing on flag display and patriotism around July 4.
