President Obama’s Burial Plot a Massive Waste of Taxpayer Money-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
President Barack Obama has submitted plans for an Obama family burial plot that would be located next to the Washington Monument on the National Mall and would cost taxpayers about $120 million.
The Truth:
President Obama has not submitted plans for an Obama family burial plot to be located next to the Washington Monument that would cost taxpayers $120 million.
That rumor started at fake news website Last Line of Defense in a story appearing under the headline, “Obama’s Burial Plot Is A Massive Waste Of Taxpayer Money,” in April 2017. The story reports:
Barack Obama has just submitted his plans for burial in a plot that will house his entire family, citing the Kennedys, the Tafts and the Roosevelts as precedent, inside a monument he had designed to celebrate the nation’s first black president. The monument, which will occupy space on the National Mall along with monuments to Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and hundreds of thousands of fallen heroes, will cost the taxpayers roughly $120 million and will be listed as a national historical place with 24 hour protection from the 3rd US Infantry Regiment, just like the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The memorial would be built immediately upon approval and occupy the Northeast quadrant of the lawn near the Washington Monument with a view of the White House.
The story goes on to report that the Obama burial plot will feature a giant bronze statue and burial crypts for the former president and his entire family under a large arch.
The post even features what readers can only assume is an artists’ rendering of the Obama family burial plot — but the image actually shows a concept for a national monument that would honor President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The rendering was entered into a contest hosted by the National Civic Art Society and the Mid-Atlantic chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art:
The misidentified photo isn’t necessarily surprising, either. Last Line of Defense is known for publishing false reports, and the site states in its disclaimer that its content should be used for satirical purposes only, and that it reports “facts that don’t necessarily exist.”
Most former presidents are buried at their presidential libraries. President John F. Kennedy, who is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, is a rare exception. The Obamas have not made plans for a burial plot clear yet. When asked if Obamas’ presidential library in Chicago would contain space for an eventual burial plot, a representative said, “We are solely focused on Barack Obama’s life.”