Facts
- Former President Barack Obama criticized President Trump’s White House renovations at a rally for Ohio Democrats at Cleveland Public Auditorium on Saturday, October 24, 2026, comparing the look to a Cheesecake Factory.
- Obama criticized the new ballroom, the paved-over Rose Garden, a helicopter pad on the South Lawn and added gold decor.
- Hours later, Trump criticized Obama’s record as president on Truth Social without addressing the Cheesecake Factory remark directly.
- On Monday, the White House’s X account posted an altered Cheesecake Factory menu image touting Trump’s accomplishments.
- At a rally in Corinth, Mississippi, on Monday for Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, Trump called the chain a very successful company and defended the renovations as befitting the country.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also responded to Obama’s remark, Fortune reported.
- The renovations are projected to cost at least $900 million, according to The Washington Post. In an ABC News/Washington Post poll, 59% of U.S. adults said Trump spends too much time on them.
- On Tuesday, October 27, The Cheesecake Factory reported third-quarter revenue of $1.03 billion, up from $907.2 million a year earlier, according to its SEC filing. Comparable sales at its namesake restaurants rose 15.2%. Earnings were $1.19 per share, or $1.02 adjusted, which Fortune reported beat forecasts.
- The company has not commented publicly on the dispute, and it did not come up on its earnings call.
Quotes
Barack Obama, criticizing spending on White House additions at the Cleveland rally, as reported by Cleveland19: “He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a cheesecake factory.”
Donald Trump, responding at a rally in Corinth, Mississippi, on October 26, where he called the chain a very successful company, as reported by Scripps News: “He doesn’t like successful companies.”
Source Read Cleveland19’s report on the rally here.
Image A Cheesecake Factory restaurant at The Summit mall in Birmingham, Alabama 01 by Harrison Keely, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
