The Obama Presidential Center Is Asking for Volunteers to Do What?

We're about two and a half months away from the Obama Presidential Center opening up in Chicago. The building is a study in both progressive brutalist architecture and progressive wasteful spending. It looks like something from the Galactic Empire in Star Wars, and it cost nearly a billion dollars to build.

Despite all that money, the Obama Presidential Center is looking for a bunch of unpaid volunteers to staff the place while CEO Valerie Jarrett raked in almost three-quarters of a million in 2024.

Obama Presidential Center wants 100 unpaid volunteers as Valerie Jarrett makes $740K https://t.co/Af7PAUhNXS pic.twitter.com/fI7NeW6rPI
— New York Post (@nypost) March 15, 2026

Here's more (emphasis added):

The Obama Foundation is looking for 100 unpaid volunteers to work alongside the former president’s highly paid cronies at the $850 million Obama Presidential Center in Chicago when it opens in June.
Officials are pitching the no-paycheck gigs as rooted in former President Barack Obama’s legacy of civic engagement.
The recruitment campaign comes after Fox News Digital reported that the organization’s CEO, former top Obama aide Valerie Jarrett, was paid $740,000 in 2024.
Foundation officials told Fox News Digital the volunteers will complement about 300 full- and part-time employees at the long-delayed center, which the organization is promoting as a $3.1 billion economic catalyst for the Windy City’s South Side.
The new program will have 75 to 100 volunteers, known as “ambassadors,” greet and direct visitors around the campus and share information about exhibits at the 22-story museum tower, athletic center and Chicago Public Library branch, among other amenities.

We also have to ask, will the Obama Foundation be subject to the city's proposed head tax? Mayor Brandon Johnson wants businesses in the city to pay $21 per employee per month to offset the city's massive budget deficit. That means the Obama Foundation would be on the hook for $75,600 per year for its 300 paid employees.

Always A Lying Hypocrite 🤥 pic.twitter.com/DOZpSGViTu
— Marlon East Of The Pecos (@Darksideleader2) March 15, 2026

Always. What happened to paying people a living wage, Barack?

These people are evil. Which explains why this building looks like something from a Marvel villain
— DanCamm (@Dan_Camm) March 15, 2026

Leftists build ugly things because that's how they view the world.

Fitting pic.twitter.com/gnZf1Yk953
— Stand With Apu (@Investor4201) March 16, 2026

They're the same picture.

The times may change but communism stays exactly the same https://t.co/dXZ8eOkznm
— Oilfield Rando (@Oilfield_Rando) March 15, 2026

They never, ever change.

NGO GRIFT: Obama’s presidential library has no books. It isn’t part of the National Archives because he didn’t want to turn it over to the federal government like every prior president - he wanted to use it as a permanent NGO slush fund to pay his cronies like Valerie Jarrett. https://t.co/igvLN9hAEY pic.twitter.com/6gkbgfgtB5
— @amuse (@amuse) March 15, 2026

This is completely believable.

Liberals don’t want to pay employees…. https://t.co/050E2m403O pic.twitter.com/w3I2kpzpKX
— EducatëdHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) March 15, 2026

And when they do have to pay employees, they push to import illegal immigrants so they can pay them less. But they're the party of the working man.

Supposedly.

His administration would have filed charges against any company who did this. https://t.co/BStqyoZr18
— AmishDude (@TheAmishDude) March 15, 2026

Bingo.

As always, it's (D)ifferent when they do it, however. Which is why we're guessing the Obama Foundation won't be paying that head tax, either.

Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy Townhall’s conservative reporting that takes on the radical Left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.

Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.