Former President Barack Obama indirectly criticized President Donald Trump and his administration in a speech on Thursday that marked the grand opening of the former president's new presidential center. 

The center – encompassing a museum, an athletic center, cafe and restaurant, and a branch of the Chicago Public Library – will officially open to the public on Friday. It is located in the historic Jackson Park on the South Side of Chicago near the University of Chicago's campus.

The former president reflected on the founding of the United States in his speech, stating that the Declaration of Independence established there “will be no kings or lords, no serfs or subjects, but only citizens, each of us free to pursue our own version of happiness and able to determine our collective faith to an elected representative government.”

Obama stated that his center focuses on the country’s shared values “that make democracy possible," while alluding that the current administration did not by highlighting some common Democratic complaints about the state of the country.

“A belief in the intrinsic dignity and worth of all people, and that no one is above the law or beneath its protection,” he said. “A belief in checks and balances in our government, and an accountability that comes with it. An independent judiciary and a robust free press. 

"A belief that our military and law enforcement owe allegiance not to any president or political party, but to the people and our Constitution," he continued. “A belief in the peaceful transfer of power after the people have spoken in fair and free elections, recognizing that in a large, complicated society like ours, no group or faction gets its way 100% of the time.

“And it believes that qualities of character, honesty, integrity, kindness, compassion, sense of duty, and honor, those things matter in our public dealings, just as they do in our private lives," he added.

Obama also complimented the other former presidents who attended the grand opening, including former President George W. Bush, a Republican. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Joe Biden also attended.

“Every president here today, as different as we are, has tried our best to uphold values that John McCain and Mitt Romney believed in, no less than I did,” he said, referring to the two Republican candidates who challenged him in 2008 and 2012.

Other guests at the grand opening included Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder, the Roots, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Marc Anthony, U2’s Bono and actress and producer Marsai Martin.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.