Speaking to a star-studded audience including Oprah Winfrey and Bruce Springsteen, Barack Obama marked the opening of his presidential center in Chicago with a 30-minute address that blended personal narrative with political vision. The former president, who left office in 2017, did not mention Donald Trump by name but made clear references to the divisive state of American politics, stating, "I do not believe that is the story of America that prevails in the end" of anger and doubt, adding that giving in to cynicism would betray the nation's founding ideals. Obama recounted his own journey from arriving in Chicago at age 23 to becoming the first Black president, emphasizing that he found the American Dream in the city.