Obama's unique take on the presidential library

--leaders community advocates, longtime-- Hey, Major, great to see you. Well, this was a star-studded studded affair, and it was one that was 10 years in the making and cost about $850 million, Major, to build this complex. This campus is what they are calling it to commemorate the 44th president of the United States. Where I'm standing right now is a top of a library, an actual branch of the Chicago Public Library that is now inside the Obama Presidential Center. There are lots of hallmarks of presidential libraries. You've got the traditional replica of the Oval Office here. There's a lot of memorabilia from his two terms as President. But there are some unique aspects to this whole complex as well, Major, the library that I mentioned, and also there's an NBA-sized basketball court on campus as well, a nod to the former President's love for the game. There's also a recording studio, lots of community space, and all around me is a community garden. And what the Obamas really wanted this to be was a community center. It's more of a nod to his past as a community organizer than to his time as President. And the hope is that at least they hope, that people will come here, gather, and feel the need to participate in civic duty. Earlier today, we heard from the former president himself. But Major, it was Michelle Obama, the former First Lady, that had a crowd, many of them celebrities, really quiet and rapt by her every word. Take a listen to what she had to say honoring her husband's legacy. You were doing the people's work-- rescuing our economy, expanding health care, ending a war, ordering the bin Laden raid, saving an auto industry, wining a peace prize. [CHEERS]

That one was a moment. Keeping us safe from Ebola, regulating the banks, standing up for marriage equality. [CHEERS] Listening to science and comforting an entire nation in the face of unspeakable tragedies. And you did it all with such grace, and class, and cool. Now, Major, as so often this happens, her speech seemed even better received than the former president himself, even though this was an event to honor him. But both of them, they were the only speakers at today's event. But both of them seemed to draw some not-so-subtle contrast to the current president, who, I should note, Major, was not at this event because he wasn't invited, and he's the first president in recent times to not attend an opening ceremony, an opening event for a presidential library. So his absence was noted not only physically, but also in the speeches today. This contrast that the Obamas were trying to draw between their vision for the country and the current one.

Quite a bit to contrast between the Obama and Trump eras, that is for sure. Caitlin Huey-Burns from Chicago, thank you very much.