Trump’s Iran war ending in a ceasefire has sparked fresh comparisons with Obama’s JCPOA deal. Who handled Iran better—costly military pressure or diplomatic engagement?
US President Donald Trump agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran. The US-Israeli coalition, which started with the premise of regime change and halting nuclear enrichment of Iran, has resulted in the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Israel, on the other hand, has come out as a winner and achieved the opportunity of carrying out its expansionist project in Lebanon and the West Bank.
The 39-day campaign had an estimated cost of $27 billion- $31 billion, according to Penn Wharton Budget Model, and resulted in the death of 15 US servicemen, and roughly 700 others were injured. The cost excludes the damage to the US assets in the region. It also resulted in the death of several Iranian top leaders, including the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 1900 Iranian civilians and tens of thousands of other were also injured. Iran retalliated with closing the Strait of Hormuz, choking the lifeblood of the US empire and sending shockwaves globally.
Trump vs Obama: Who got the better deal with Iran?
Donald Trump, the famous author of the book “Art of the Deal”, once claimed that Obama would start a war with Iran because he’s “weak and he’s ineffective,” and has “absolutely no ability to negotiate.” Obama signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), along with China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States. The deal imposed restrictions on Iran’s civilian uranium enrichment in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief. This was done without wasting a single penny and costing no civilian or military deaths.
US President Donald Trump walked out of the JCPOA, calling it a “horrible” and one-sided deal. However, after walking out of the JCPOA in 2018 and waging an offensive campaign from February 28, 2026, to April 7, 2026, and spending billions of dollar Trump was desperate to agree to a 10-point ceasefire proposal to salvage his and the GOP’s deteriorating political future. The ceasefire proposal shows that Iran was negotiating from a position of strength. Iran agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz, but in coordination with the Iranian military. The US would be lifting all primary and secondary sanctions on Iran. Iran urged acceptance of Uranium enrichment and no IAEA oversight. Further, the US would cease all aggression, withdraw all troops from the region and agree to pay compensation. The proposal, even though not binding yet, puts the US at a disadvantageous position. If agreed, it will convert the US from an empire to a mere regional power.
Domestically in the US, there are intense debate between the Democrats and Republicans over who had better deals with Iran. Democrats have called Trump’s handling of Iran an impeachable offence and raised concern about Trump’s mental health to continue in office after he claimed that the Iranians want to be bombed. Both parties approached US foreign policy differently; on one hand, Barack Obama had a diplomatic approach, and on the other hand, Donald Trump had a “maximum pressure” approach. In the process, Trump managed to isloate US globally; it lost its European allies, who were earlier very efficient in covering the US aggression in the Gulf as a war for Western democratic values. The result is not only a botched-up military campaign but a total and absolute loss of moral legitimacy.
Obama Center takes heat as critics cry foul over ID rules for free entry — while Dems blast voter ID laws
Illinois residents must show valid ID for free Tuesday admission ahead of the center’s June 19 opening
The Obama Presidential Center is facing a wave of backlash ahead of its opening, with critics blasting its admission policies and raising broader concerns about the project’s cost and management.
Conservative commentators on social media are taking aim at the center’s requirement that Illinois residents show valid identification to receive free admission on certain days, arguing it contrasts with Democratic opposition to voter ID laws.
“They’re making you show ID… to visit the Obama Library… in Chicago. You can’t make this stuff up!” one social media user wrote.
“The Obama Presidential Library is making people show an ID for proof of Illinois residency to get in for free,” another posted. “So residents have to prove who they are for this, but not to vote?”
The text of former President Obama’s speech marking the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, Alabama, is wrapped around the side of the upcoming presidential center in Chicago. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service)
Others echoed the sentiment more bluntly, with one account writing: “It turns out Democrats support requiring ID… but only for free admission into Obama’s library.”
Obama’s website clearly states that Illinois residents “must be able to provide proof of residency. Be prepared to show proof of residency at the Museum with a valid photo ID, Illinois driver’s license, state ID, or city-issued ID.”
Critics have also pointed to reported restrictions tied to early ticket giveaways, including claims that some promotions are limited to U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.
The latest controversy builds on a string of prior criticisms surrounding the $850 million project.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (L) joins former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama in a ceremonial groundbreaking at the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park on September 28, 2021, in Chicago. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Earlier this year, the Obama Foundation drew backlash after seeking 75 to 100 unpaid volunteers, dubbed “ambassadors,” to help operate the center, even as top executives collect substantial salaries. Federal filings show CEO Valerie Jarrett has earned roughly $740,000 annually in recent years, while overall compensation at the foundation has climbed significantly.
The project has also faced mounting scrutiny over its financial impact on taxpayers.
Former President Barack Obama once described the center as a “gift” to Chicago, emphasizing it would be privately funded. While construction of the 19.3-acre campus is being financed through private donations, the surrounding infrastructure needed to support the site, including road redesigns, utility relocations and drainage systems, is being paid for with public funds.
Early estimates put those infrastructure costs at roughly $350 million, split between the city and state. But more recent figures show Illinois alone has committed approximately $229 million, while Chicago has allocated more than $200 million in related improvements — though officials have not provided a clear, consolidated total of taxpayer spending tied to the project.
Exterior view of the Obama Presidential Center tower under construction in Chicago. (Fox 32 Chicago)
“No single agency appears to oversee the full scope” of the infrastructure work, and critics say the lack of transparency has made it difficult to determine the true public cost.
Illinois Republican Party Chair Kathy Salvi criticized the project, saying taxpayers are being left “on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars” while accusing state leaders of mismanagement.
The controversy is further fueled by the nature of the site itself. The center sits on nearly 20 acres of historic Jackson Park land transferred under a long-term agreement, with significant roadway changes, including the removal of a major thoroughfare, and utility overhauls required to accommodate the campus.
Foundation officials have defended the project, saying the center is funded by $850 million in private investment and will serve as an economic catalyst for Chicago’s South Side, generating jobs, community programs and public amenities.
Despite the backlash, the center is pressing ahead with its long-awaited debut.
Tickets for the museum will go on sale April 21 for “Founding Members,” with general public sales beginning May 6. Visitors can reserve timed-entry tickets for dates between June 19 and November 30.
Admission is set at $30 for adults and $23 for children ages 3 to 11, with discounted rates available for Illinois residents who provide proof of residency. Children 2 and under can enter for free, and Illinois residents will be eligible for free admission on Tuesdays.
All entries will be timed, with officials urging guests to arrive within 10 minutes of their scheduled slot. The museum will feature four levels of exhibits, including a replica Oval Office and the Sky Room.
Much of the surrounding campus, including gardens, walking trails, a playground, a Chicago Public Library branch and dozens of newly commissioned artworks, will be free and open to the public.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Obama Foundation and the Barack Obama Presidential Library for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Chicago residents unionize to fight possible displacement, rent hikes over Obama Presidential Center
Obama Presidential Center, opening in June, has been a controversial monument to America’s first Black presidentChicago residents in rent-controlled housing near a site being constructed to honor former President Barack Obama have reportedly unionized in response to the controversial project.
Residents of a longtime Woodlawn apartment building organized to resist possible displacement and rent increases they say are being driven by development pressure surrounding the Obama Presidential Center.
Tenants at the Chaney Braggs Apartments rallied earlier this month outside their building near 65th Street and Stony Island Avenue, saying a potential sale of the property could upend the lives of families who have lived there for decades, FOX 32 Chicago reported.
A California-based investor is seeking to buy the building and might either renovate or demolish it, according to residents. Tenants say they have been offered $2,000 per household to move out, a proposal they say falls far short of what families would need to relocate in a rapidly changing neighborhood.
Residents in low-income housing fearing displacement and rent hikes is only the latest criticism of the Obama Presidential Center. (Fox Flight Team; Getty)
Many residents currently pay between $700 and $800 a month in rent. Some say they have lived in the building for 30 or 40 years and fear they will not be able to find comparable housing in Woodlawn if rents rise or the property is redeveloped.
In response, residents have formed a tenant union to push back against the threat of displacement and preserve affordability in the building. They say the union first came together after the previous landlord abandoned the property about two years ago, forcing tenants to organize around maintenance issues and basic services.
Now, residents say that same network is being used to confront a larger challenge: staying in their homes as investment tied to the Obama Presidential Center reshapes the surrounding neighborhood.
A before-and-after aerial graphic shows the footprint of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park, including the removal of Cornell Drive and construction along Stony Island Avenue. (Fox News)
The apartment building, tenants said, was once owned by a nonprofit committed to affordable housing and community stability. But with those protections no longer in place, residents say they are increasingly vulnerable to market pressures that have intensified as construction on the presidential center continues nearby.
No sale has been finalized, and the identity of the prospective buyer had not been publicly confirmed as of Thursday. Residents say they have contacted city and state officials for assistance but have not yet received a response.
The standoff underscores broader anxieties in Woodlawn, where the Obama Presidential Center has brought promises of jobs and investment alongside fears of gentrification and displacement. For tenants at Chaney Braggs Apartments, those concerns have become immediate and personal.
Residents say they plan to continue organizing while awaiting more information about the building’s future, possible rent increases and whether city officials will step in.
The Obama Presidential Center, set to open in Chicago’s South Side on June 18, is a 19.3-acre campus in Jackson Park featuring a 225-foot museum tower, library and community forum.
Obama, the first American Black president, is celebrating the grand opening of the over-budget building — called an eyesore by critics — on the eve of Juneteenth.
Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed enslaved Black Americans there that they were free — more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
The holiday has been observed as a celebration of Black freedom, resilience and community, and in recent years has taken on broader national significance as both a commemoration of liberation and a reminder of the long struggle for racial justice in the United States.
Obama had once described the center as a “gift” to Chicago. It is a gift that keeps on costing.
A Fox News Digital investigation in February found taxpayers are absorbing hundreds of millions of dollars in related public infrastructure costs tied to the project. Those expenses include road redesigns, stormwater systems and utility relocations needed to support the 19.3-acre campus in Jackson Park. No government agency has provided a full accounting of the total public cost despite months of inquiries and Freedom of Information Act requests.
Initial projections put public infrastructure spending at about $350 million to be shared by the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois. Critics now argue those obligations have grown into a major public burden as the project has faced delays and mounting costs.
Fox News’ Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
All About Barack and Michelle Obama’s 2 Daughters, Malia and Sasha
Barack and Michelle Obama’s daughters are all grown up
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Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Malia Obama and Sasha Obama.
NEED TO KNOW
- Barack and Michelle Obama share two daughters: Malia and Sasha
- Malia was born in 1998, while Sasha was born in 2001
- After growing up in the White House, Malia and Sasha have gone on to attend college and pursue careers
When former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama were still in office, their daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama, were also growing up in the White House.
Malia and Sasha were 10 and 8 at the time, respectively, when their dad was elected as the 44th president. They lived in the White House throughout Barack’s two terms, from 2009 to 2017.
Before moving to Washington, D.C., the Obamas spent their early years in Chicago, where Barack served as a state senator after marrying Michelle on Oct. 3, 1992. The pair welcomed their first child, daughter Malia, on July 4, 1998, while their second daughter, Sasha, was born on June 10, 2001.
Malia and Sasha adjusted well to life at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Michelle told PEOPLE in December 2011, and have maintained a close sisterhood in their adult years.
”Now they’re both old enough, where they just enjoy each other’s company,” Barack said of his daughters in November 2020. “To be together as a family and see how they’ve become these marvelous young women — there’s been no greater joy than that.”
Both college grads, Malia and Sasha are focused on carving their own paths, and Barack, who appeared on The Pivot Podcast in October 2024, said they “go out of their way to not try to leverage” the Obama name. This was in response to Malia’s decision to drop her last name professionally, opting to go by Malia Ann.
Barack and Michelle’s daughters are also often spotted spending time with their parents. Most recently, Sasha joined them at the 2026 NBA All-Star Game.
From how they navigated their father’s presidency to their activism, here’s everything to know about Barack and Michelle Obama’s daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama.
Malia Obama, 27
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Born on July 4, 1998, in Chicago, Malia is the older child of Barack and Michelle Obama.
Growing up, Malia’s parents described her as “wise and thoughtful.” She collected keychains and took drama classes, the Obamas told PEOPLE in 2008; by first grade, she was setting her own alarm and making her bed every morning.
“My 9-year-old is always coming up with remarkable things,” Barack said after noting that his girls “always make me cry” with “how good-hearted they are.”
He offered an example, telling PEOPLE, “When [Malia] was 6 years old … we were walking along the lake, holding hands, and she turned to me and said, ‘Daddy, are we rich?’ I said, ‘We’re very well off compared to a lot of people, but we’re not really rich, as some people might define really rich.’ “
“And she said, ‘Well, that’s good because I don’t want to be really rich. I think I want to live a simple life.’ And I looked at her and wondered, ‘Where did she come up with that?’ ” he mused.
After graduating high school in 2016, Malia took a year off before enrolling at Harvard University, where she graduated in 2021.
“They’re ready to get out, just out from their parents’ house,” Barack told PEOPLE of his daughters. “The fact that their parents’ house is the White House may add to it. But Malia’s going off to college. She’s a grown woman.”
During her gap year and throughout university, she showed an interest in the TV industry, landing internships on Lena Dunham‘s Girls and at the Weinstein Company before working as a production assistant on Halle Berry‘s CBS sci-fi drama series Extant. She also worked as a writer on Donald Glover‘s Amazon series, Swarm, and directed two social media vignettes for A’ja Wilson’s Nike shoe.
In 2024, Malia debuted a short film that she wrote and directed at the Sundance Film Festival under the name Malia Ann. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the short film is called The Heart and is about a grieving son who finds something unusual in his late mother’s will.
“The film is about lost objects and lonely people and forgiveness and regret, but I also think it works hard to uncover where tenderness and closeness can exist in those things,” Malia said during an interview segment called “Meet the Artist,” adding, “We hope you enjoy the film and it makes you feel a bit less lonely, or at least reminds you not to forget about the people who are.”
In October 2024, Barack shared his reaction to Malia dropping “Obama” from her professional name.
“I was all like, ‘You do know they’ll know who you are,’ ” he said on The Pivot Podcast. “And she’s all like, ‘You know what? I want them to watch [my film] that first time and not in any way have that association.’ “
Michelle also respected Malia’s attempt to break free from the family’s shadow.
“It is very important for my kids to feel like they’ve earned what they are getting in the world, and they don’t want people to assume that they don’t work hard, that they’re just handed things,” she said on the Sibling Revelry podcast in June 2025. “They’re very sensitive to that — they want to be their own people.”
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In addition to her creative endeavors, Malia has demonstrated an interest in activism, marching in Black Lives Matter protests during the summer of 2020 alongside her younger sister.
Michelle has said that the sisterhood between Malia and Sasha is something that she and Barack treasure most.
“I think that they realize that they have a unique bond because they’re the only two who know what they just went through — growing up in the White House with the brightest spotlight in the world on you as you were going through adolescence and puberty. They uniquely know what that means for them,” she told PEOPLE in an interview previewing her book, The Light We Carry.
Though the proud mom is thrilled to see her girls “thriving on their own as individual young women,” she’s also still fiercely protective of her daughters. During an interview with People en Español, Michelle explained that the hardest truth to share in her book was anything having to do with Malia and Sasha.
“It is hard for me to delve too deeply, for example, into the lessons I’ve learned as a parent because I’m trying to protect the privacy of my girls,” she explained. “You have to pull back on how much you share about their lives and how much you put them back out in the public eye because they’re not looking for the attention.”
Sasha Obama, 24
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Born on June 10, 2001, in Chicago, Sasha is the younger child of Barack and Michelle Obama.
She grew up playing basketball, taking tap dance lessons and doing gymnastics. Along with her older sister, she also played tennis and took piano lessons. The rules in their household were straightforward: “No whining,” the Obamas said.
“Sasha is more like Michelle,” Michelle’s mother, Marian Robinson, who lived with the family in the White House, told PEOPLE in 2007. “She’s more determined. She’s got her own mind made up.”
Malia, meanwhile, reminded her more of her son, Michelle’s brother Craig. “She goes along just to keep peace and she’s a worrier.”
“Sasha is, as Malia describes it, completely confident about her own take on the world and is not cowed or intimidated — and never has been — by anybody’s titles, anybody’s credentials. If she thinks something’s wrong or right, she will say so,” the former president told InStyle in January 2020.
The Obamas have praised their daughters to PEOPLE from a young age, remarking on how “funny” and “smart and kind and decent” they are.
“My younger one, Sasha, is just full of energy and the comedian in the family,” Barack told PEOPLE in 2008.
After Sasha graduated from D.C.’s Sidwell Friends School in 2019, she enrolled at the University of Michigan, where she began taking classes online amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking to PEOPLE about having both of his daughters home again during that time, Barack admitted that “there are times where it’s felt claustrophobic, I’m sure, for them.”
“But for Michelle and me as parents, to have this bonus time where your kids are having dinner with you every night and we’re playing games and watching movies together — there’s been a lot of joy to that,” he added.
Despite being her “littlest pea,” Sasha is growing up, the Becoming author remarked during an April 2022 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, revealing that both of her daughters have boyfriends now.
“They loved the Jonas Brothers. Now they are bringing grown men home,” she joked. “Before it was just, like, pop bands. Now they have boyfriends and real lives.”
Previously, Barack had commented on their love lives during a May 2021 appearance on The Late Late Show, joking that his daughters still remember Secret Service agents trailing them on their dates.
“They still have PTSD from guys talking into their wrist microphones and glasses as they’re trying to go to a music concert,” he shared.
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Both Sasha and Malia have since moved out of their parents’ home and are living together in Los Angeles.
Michelle discussed the moment her girls announced they were moving in together while speaking with PEOPLE in November 2022.
“You try not to react too much because it’s like, you don’t want to go, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m so happy for you!’ because then they think, ‘Well, maybe this is not a good thing if my mom likes it,’ ” she said while previewing her book.
“So I just said, ‘Okay, well that’s interesting that you guys are going to try living together. We’ll see how it goes.’ But yeah, it feels good to know that the two girls you raised find solace at a kitchen table with one another. It’s like the one thing you want for them.”
Michelle also revealed in The Light We Carry that Sasha and Malia have made their shared apartment their own, “having poked around yard sales and shopped at a nearby IKEA, watching their budget.” The girls have even hosted their parents for pre-dinner drinks, though Michelle admits their cocktail game could use a little work.
“The martinis were a little weak. I don’t think they really knew what it was,” the proud mom joked while recalling the evening during an appearance on the Today show.
In May 2023, Sasha proved once again that she’s all grown up by graduating from the University of Southern California with an undergraduate degree in sociology. The former first couple and Malia were present to support the graduate.
Today, Sasha can be spotted hanging out with her dad and mom at public events, including at the 2026 NBA All-Stars Game.
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