(AP) — Former President Barack Obama is fending off Republican reactions to a recent joke he made about the renovations and decorating of President Donald Trump’s White House.
Obama said Trump’s gold accents sounded like “Saddam Hussein opened a cheesecake factory.”
“They’re not serious people. They don’t have solutions to real problems,” Obama said in Georgia, fending off criticism he received for his comments. He said Republicans would rather have “fake outrage” and “talk about the Cheesecake Factory.”
Republicans called Obama’s comment insulting to middle-class Americans who love the restaurant.
But Obama cited the middle-class establishments he frequents with his daughters, including the California Pizza Kitchen, the Cheesecake Factory and Chuck E. Cheese.
He said it was telling that the White House did not dispute his main argument that Trump cared about trivialities and did not help Americans.
“The president wasn’t even mad about the Saddam Hussein comparison,” Obama said. “He didn’t mind. But he was very upset about the Cheesecake Factory.”
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Gn usa
