Oh yeah, we throw it in the trash like pros!
President Barack Obama’s stark new presidential library is being mercilessly roasted online—users are comparing it to the Death Star, trash cans, and other imposing monoliths in a hilarious social media thread ignited by Sen. Ted Cruz.
"Locating the Death Star in Chicago was a bold move," Cruz (R-Texas) tweeted Tuesday, sharing a video of the latest updates on Obama’s Chicago presidential center.
In a hilarious X thread, the Obama Presidential Center has been compared to the Death Star and other towering monoliths.
The center’s main building was hilariously overlaid onto the towering walkers from "The Empire Strikes Back." X
The facility—a 225-foot slab of concrete and granite towering over Chicago’s Jackson Park—has drawn criticism since its design was revealed nearly a decade ago, and the peanut gallery piled on even more jokes after Cruz’s post.
Some shared videos showing "Star Wars" X-wing fighters swooping in on the library, while others Photoshopped the building sideways to replace the torsos of the giant AT-AT walkers from "The Empire Strikes Back."
Some even superimposed the Eye of Sauron from the "Lord of the Rings" movies onto its roof, while others just posted images of Easter Island heads.
Comparisons also included kitty litter boxes, everyday trash bins and dumpsters, as well as quirky nods to "Star Trek" and "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy."
On social media, one of the most popular comparisons was the Eye of Sauron tower from "The Lord of the Rings." X
The "Litter Genie Plus Pail" quickly became one of the sharpest—and most hilarious—comparisons on Cruz’s X thread. X
“It’s an ‘obamanation’! Just like his presidency!” one person wrote.
“It’s like someone built a Lego set without the instructions,” said another.
Prisons, power plants, and towering Jenga stacks also popped up repeatedly in the comparisons.
One person just shared the cover of The Who’s album "Who’s Next," showing the band standing around a massive concrete pillar in a stark, barren landscape.
Everyday trash bins also made frequent appearances in the X thread responding to Sen. Cruz’s tweet. X
The Who’s album "Who’s Next" was even suggested as a tongue-in-cheek inspiration for the center’s design. X
"That’s no library…" wrote another, cleverly referencing a famous "Star Wars" line while poking fun at the puzzling purpose of Obama’s building.
In reality, the much-discussed building isn’t technically a presidential library at all—it’s a "presidential center."
Unlike traditional presidential libraries, the center won’t house any physical presidential records.
Instead, the center will provide access to digital files from Obama’s presidency, arguing that this approach makes the most sense since the vast majority of communications during his eight years in the White House were digital to begin with.
The donor-funded nonprofit center has turned into a cash sink, with its budget ballooning from the $500 million originally planned to $830 million.
The center isn’t expected to open until spring 2026.
