Trump visits newly opened Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota Badlands

On July 1, 2026, Donald Trump visited Medora, North Dakota, to dedicate the newly built $450 million Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. Arriving on a new Qatar-gifted Air Force One, Trump presented Roosevelt's Medal of Honor to the 96,000-square-foot facility, which is set to open on July 4. While Trump praised Roosevelt's strength, conservation groups protested the visit, arguing that the administration's energy development policies directly contradict Roosevelt's environmental legacy.

Trump Roosevelt Library visit

• ▪Donald Trump presented Theodore Roosevelt's Medal of Honor, previously displayed in the White House Roosevelt Room, to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
• ▪Donald Trump announced that the National Endowment for the Humanities will award the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library $750,000 for its first year
• ▪Donald Trump traveled to North Dakota aboard a refurbished Boeing 747 gifted by Qatar, marking its debut flight as Air Force One
• ▪Donald Trump visited Medora, North Dakota, on July 1, 2026, to dedicate the newly built Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library

Theodore Roosevelt Library opening

• ▪The 96,000-square-foot Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library cost $450 million and is scheduled for its official grand opening on July 4, 2026
• ▪The North Dakota legislature approved a $50 million operations endowment for the library, which raised about $354 million in donations by early 2026
• ▪Private donors for the library include oil executive Harold Hamm, the Walton family, Citadel founder Kenneth Griffin, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum

North Dakota Badlands location

• ▪The library overlooks Theodore Roosevelt National Park, where Theodore Roosevelt spent formative years ranching cattle and hunting big game in the 1880s
• ▪The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is located in Medora, North Dakota, a town of 120 people situated in the rugged Badlands