{"id":17759,"date":"2026-06-21T19:24:33","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T19:24:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thetwistzone.com\/?p=17759"},"modified":"2026-06-21T19:24:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T19:24:33","slug":"obamas-id-requirement-to-access-presidential-library-undercuts-voting-criticisms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetwistzone.com\/?p=17759","title":{"rendered":"Obama\u2019s ID Requirement To Access Presidential Library Undercuts Voting Criticisms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Oklahoma\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shannon made the comments during a Friday appearance on Newsmax\u2019s \u201cWake Up America\u201d while discussing the opening of the Obama Presidential Center on Chicago\u2019s South Side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The center officially opened this week in Chicago\u2019s Jackson Park following years of planning, litigation and construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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\u2019s impact on surrounding communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFirst 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,\u201d Shannon said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSo, you know, they require ID for everybody to get in. And it\u2019s on the South Side of Chicago. It\u2019s tickets are sold out through November,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSo black people are going to see this, and they\u2019re going to have to present an ID,\u201d he noted further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSo we now can end the charade that black people can\u2019t get IDs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Oklahoma official also said he was disappointed by what he perceived as a lack of gratitude at the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI did watch the ceremony because I love Stevie Wonder. I knew he was performing,\u201d Shannon said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBut I was sad for him, you know, this country has been extraordinarily good to Michelle and Barack Obama,\u201d he told the Newsmax morning show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd I\u2019ve yet to hear a thank you,\u201d Shannon continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI hear a lot of complaints. I hear a lot of bemoaning about what hasn\u2019t been done and what wasn\u2019t done and what was done 400 years ago,\u201d the GOP nominee added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBut I haven\u2019t heard a thank you to a country that\u2019s been extraordinarily good, to a family that became, you know, the first family of the United States of America,\u201d&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsmax.com\/newsmax-tv\/tw-shannon-obama-center-chicago\/2026\/06\/19\/id\/1260245\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">he said<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shannon focused much of his criticism on reports that some contractors involved in the project have not been fully paid for work they performed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Payment disputes have lingered throughout the development of the center, with several subcontractors publicly claiming they are still owed money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Project officials, however, have disputed assertions that the Obama Foundation is directly responsible for those payments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The center\u2019s opening has also revived debate over its impact on nearby neighborhoods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Supporters contend the project will generate jobs, attract visitors and spur economic growth on Chicago\u2019s South Side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Critics, including some local activists, have raised concerns that the development could accelerate gentrification and drive up housing costs in surrounding communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe saddest part is you do have contractors. A lot of them are minority and Black-owned businesses that have not been paid,\u201d Shannon said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cObama should do better than that. He knows better,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat is a hole that no subcontractor, small business can survive,\u201d Owen said, adding that the financial losses have sapped the company\u2019s reserves, have led to unease among work staff, and could eventually lead to lay-offs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Oklahoma\u2019s 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 &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17760,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Obama\u2019s ID Requirement To Access Presidential Library Undercuts Voting Criticisms - Thetwistzone<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thetwistzone.com\/?p=17759\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Obama\u2019s ID Requirement To Access Presidential Library Undercuts Voting Criticisms - Thetwistzone\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Oklahoma\u2019s Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, T.W. 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