President Donald Trump opens the $450M Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota and becomes its first official visitor, speaking at an event organized by Freedom250 while traveling to Mount Rushmore for Independence Day events.The 96,000-square-foot facility spotlights Theodore Roosevelt’s conservation work, Rough Riders service and ranching years in the 1880s and displays artifacts including his Rough Riders uniform and diary; the project received $50M from the state and more than $350M in private donations from figures such as Harold Hamm, the Walton family and Kenneth Griffin.Conservation leaders criticize Governor
Doug Burgum and the Trump administration for policy choices they say undercut Roosevelt’s conservation legacy, while supporters say the library will bolster tourism and educate visitors about Roosevelt’s complex life.