The Cheesecake Factory is seen on May 2, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.
Kayla Bartkowski/Getty
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Kayla Bartkowski/Getty
They say there is no such thing as bad publicity. If it’s true, it was a Golden week for the Cheesecake Factory restaurant chain.
The furor began when former President Obama, favoring Democrats in Ohio this week before the midterm elections, joked about President Trump’s White House renovations, saying they looked “like Saddam Hussein opened a cheesecake factory. Just gold everywhere.”
The late Iraqi dictator was known for building lavish palaces, complete with gilded walls, cabinets full of gold-plated rifles, a golden throne and of course numerous depictions of the man himself.
Trump is also known for his love of all things gold and Obama joked that he “glued gold medallions on the fireplace in the Oval Office”, while paving the Rose Garden and “building a ballroom bigger than the White House”.
Former President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign rally for Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Cleveland.
Sue Ogrocki/AP
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Sue Ogrocki/AP
What about the Cheesecake Factory? The beloved American restaurant chain was started in 1978 by David Overton, whose mother reportedly made an excellent cheesecake. It now has 218 establishments across the country and an annual turnover of $1.03 billion.
But it is as well known for its kitsch decoration as for its cuisine, with THE Atlantic Writer Elaine Godfrey describes it in an article this week “as if ancient Egypt and Tuscany had a baby in Las Vegas.”
Obama first made the “home improvement” remarks at Saturday’s political rally, where he also described the Trump administration as out of touch with ordinary Americans suffering from a cost-of-living crisis and the economic fallout from the president’s war in Iran.
Obama said the Trump administration had resulted in “two years of chaos, cruelty and corruption” and that those at the helm were not “serious people.”
Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s al-Faw Palace is seen in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, March 23, 2023. The palace is now the headquarters of the American University.
Hadi Mizban/AP
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Hadi Mizban/AP
The administration was quick to respond, with President Trump defending his taste by saying, “I took care of the White House, I repaired it with the best craftsmen in the world.”
“The White House was in terrible condition. The White House today is in the best condition it has been in since 1792,” he added. he told reporters when asked about Obama’s quip, adding that Obama was “not a smart guy.”
The official White House account posted a photo of the Cheesecake Factory’s famously large menu, saying “Since we’re talking about the Cheesecake Factory…The only thing bigger than the menu is President Trump’s list of accomplishments.”
Allegations of elitism
Vice President Vance responded by accusing Obama of being out of touch with ordinary Americans. “Obama, without even trying to be, can’t help but be super elitist,” he said. wrote on X.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also sought to capitalize on the backlash by having lunch Monday at a Cheesecake Factory near the White House. He ate a French cheeseburger and told reporters then: “I had a good meal, I always have a good meal, and I would just tell the Martha’s Vineyard group to give it a try,” in an apparent reference to the Obamas who are known to vacation on the exclusive island.
Gold presidential seals are seen on a mantle in the Oval Office as President Donald Trump meets with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House, Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Washington.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
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Mark Schiefelbein/AP
On the topic of taste in decor, Bessent, who once managed a hedge fund, also made an apparent joke about the new Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
“This is the man who built the museum that looks like Darth Vader’s tomb,” he added.
Obama was undeterred, returning to the theme at a rally in Georgia on Wednesday and expressing surprise that instead of hitting back at his critics on politics and corruption, the White House was more upset by the Cheesecake Factory remark.
“The president wasn’t even mad about the Saddam Hussein comparison! It didn’t bother him,” Obama said.
“They mobilized the entire government to respond to this joke. Not to inflation, but to this joke. The White House even called the Secretary of the Treasury. This is the man who is in charge of the economy. The person who is supposed to figure out how to make your life more affordable,” he added.
“The guy who’s supposed to find a way to reduce inflation. And lower interest rates. They told him he should hold a press conference in front of the Cheesecake Factory.”
Obama also noted that he has been a proud patron of the restaurant for many years.
“I’m the father of two daughters. Do you think I could have survived their childhood without going to the Cheesecake Factory?”
Construction continues on the White House Ballroom, as seen from the Washington Monument, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, in Washington.
Mariam Zuhaib/AP
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Mariam Zuhaib/AP
Later in the week, restaurants and affordability returned. Asset told his supporters at a political rally in Texas, they could spend the $5,000 he promised every adult citizen if Republicans stop Congress from dining out at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
“The problem is that for $5,000, the most you can buy is a hamburger and maybe a small dessert,” Trump joked.
“I’m not even sure you can buy that,” he said, before rescinding the advice: “No, don’t go there. It’s not a good place if you’re price conscious.”
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