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False story claims Trump nixed Obama library funding
CHICAGO (AP) — President Trump hasn’t canceled federal funding for former President Barack Obama’s library, despite claims in a story circulating on social media. The Obama Foun- dation says private donations are paying for the construction and it’s not relying on federal money to administer its collection of documents.
The false story on the Conve- nile site declares that President Trump has canceled $8 million for his predecessor’s “free house and library.”
The story also claims Trump
rejected the idea of a new home for Michelle Obama on the
top floor of the building. Kate Berner, a spokeswoman for the Obama foundation, says draw- ings for the presidential center in Chicago never included an apartment.
Existing presidential libraries are run by the National Archives and Records Administration. The foundation announced last spring it would break from that tradition. NARA spokesman James Pritchett says the Archives will administer Obama’s docu- ments but the center will receive
no federal dollars.
The White House says Presi-
dent Trump’s proposed budget, which came months after the foundation announcement, calls for spending $5 million less on the overall presidential library system.
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This is part of The Associated Press’ ongoing effort to fact- check misinformation that is shared widely online, including work with Facebook to identify and reduce the circulation of false stories on the platform.
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