# Trump hits back at Obama's Cheesecake Factory jab

> Trump defends White House renovations after Obama compares them to a dictator's restaurant chain.
- Title: Trump hits back at Obama's Cheesecake Factory jab · CBS News
- Summary: Trump defends White House renovations after Obama compares them to a dictator's restaurant chain. President Trump defended White House renovations at a…
- Keywords: donald trump, barack obama, white house, renovations, 2024 campaign, mississippi rally, news, Trump, hits, back, Obama's, Cheesecake
- Source: CBS News — https://cbsnews.com/news/trump-obama-cheesecake-factory-white-house
- Author: Caroline  Linton
- Published: 2026-10-27T15:54:15+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: donald trump, barack obama, white house, renovations, 2024 campaign, mississippi rally, news
## Obama's viral Cheesecake Factory crack
At a Michigan rally for Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Saturday, former President Barack Obama criticized President Trump's White House renovations, saying he has the building looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.

> He's got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.
## Trump responds at Mississippi rally
At a campaign stop in Mississippi on Monday, President Trump addressed Obama's comments, saying the White House represents the country and must be pristine. Trump said Obama would not understand this.

> The White House represents our country, and has to be pristine.
## Trump defends spending and condition
Trump said the money spent on renovations is peanuts and the White House is now in better shape than it was in seventeen ninety-two. He said he took over a building in horrible condition.

> The White House is now in better shape than it was in 1792.
## Key takeaway

President Trump defended White House renovations at a Mississippi rally after former President Obama criticized them as excessive and tasteless.