From Newsweek · · 2m
Trump Calls Obama 'Lousy President' After Cheesecake Factory Joke
Trump accuses Obama of being a 'lousy president' after mocking White House renovations as 'Saddam Hussein opening a Cheesecake Factory'.
In brief
Trump accuses Obama of being a 'lousy president' after mocking White House renovations as 'Saddam Hussein opening a Cheesecake Factory'. Trump called Obama a 'lousy president' after Obama compared his White House renovations to 'Saddam Hussein opening a Cheesecake Factory'. Originally reported by Newsweek.
Obama's Cheesecake Factory Joke
Former President Barack Obama mocked Trump's White House renovations by comparing them to 'Saddam Hussein opening a Cheesecake Factory' at a rally in Ohio.
“Saddam Hussein opening a Cheesecake Factory”
Trump's White House Renovations
President Donald Trump claimed he restored parts of the White House that had fallen into disrepair, fixing cracked plaster, damaged masonry, and broken architectural ornaments.
“We re-skinned it”
Trump's Criticism of Obama
Trump accused Obama of failing to notice dirt and filth, wall cleaning, and painting during his eight years in office, calling him 'not smart' and 'a lousy president'.
“He doesn’t notice dirt and filth that hadn’t been cleaned, where the walls hadn’t been cleaned for years”
White House Symbolism
Trump argued that maintaining the White House is about preserving its symbolic importance rather than spending money, saying damaged columns and masonry should not deteriorate.
“The White House is a symbol of America, and it has to be maintained properly”
Obama's Criticism of Trump
Obama criticized Trump's focus on renovations, saying he had 'paved over the Rose Garden' and was constructing a ballroom 'bigger than the White House'.
“paved over the Rose Garden”
Backlash to Joke
Critics called Obama's joke elitist, while others defended the Cheesecake Factory as an aspirational night out for working-class people.
“For a lot of working-class people in Michigan, Cheesecake Factory is a really nice meal that they have to save up to afford”
Legal Battle Over Ballroom
The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued over Trump's proposed White House ballroom project, leading to a federal court injunction that allowed underground construction but restricted above-ground work.
“The existing East Wing was demolished by December 2025”
Trump's Renovation Claims
Trump said the White House work takes only a small amount of his time each day and credits skilled workers, including Interior Department personnel, with carrying out the restoration.
“We re-skinned it”
Obama's Election Call
Obama called November 3 election the last chance to bring accountability to government for Trump's final two years in office, urging voters to 'vote, vote, vote'.
“vote, vote, vote”
The big picture
Trump called Obama a 'lousy president' after Obama compared his White House renovations to 'Saddam Hussein opening a Cheesecake Factory'.
