Former President Barack Obama on Wednesday pushed back against the Republican uproar over his recent jab at President Trump's White House renovations, accusing the GOP of fixating on a joke rather than addressing the economic concerns that matter to voters.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Georgia for Democratic candidates, Obama said the administration had mounted a "whole-of-government response" to his quip about Trump's gold-heavy decor, which he compared to a Cheesecake Factory. He argued that this reaction underscores a fundamental problem with the current political leadership.
"They mobilized a whole-of-government response to that joke, not to inflation, but to that joke," Obama said. "This is what I mean when I say these are not serious people. They don't have solutions to actual problems, so they'd rather have the media and you talking about the Cheesecake Factory."
The controversy began during a recent Obama campaign stop in Cleveland, where he mocked the reported $900 million in renovations to the White House, saying it looked "like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory, it's just gold everywhere." Trump fired back on the trail, calling Obama a "lousy president" and defending the decor as a matter of taste.
"It's not about money. It's about seeing. Guys like Obama don't see it. He doesn't see dirt, he doesn't see filth, he doesn't see broken ornaments on a building," Trump said. "For you to say it was a Cheesecake Factory, that just shows why you were a lousy president."
Trump has overseen a costly overhaul of the Rose Garden and added a granite helipad on the South Lawn, along with gold signage and decor that reflect his personal style. In Georgia, Obama dismissed the backlash, noting that he had "heard the president was not happy" with his remarks.
He also defended his familiarity with the restaurant chain, saying, "I am the father of two daughters. Do you think I could have survived their childhood without going to the Cheesecake Factory? I lived at Chuck E. Cheese and California Pizza Kitchen and the Cheesecake Factory. That was my jam for about a decade."
Obama pivoted to the economy, arguing that the administration's response to his joke revealed a misplaced focus. "Of course, the real problem is the price has gotten so high, a lot of folks can barely afford to go out to eat, so you would think that this administration would be spending time worrying about that," he said.
He noted that the administration "did not dispute" his argument that they were responsible for rising prices, a key midterm issue. He also expressed surprise that Trump "wasn't even mad about the Saddam Hussein comparison."
Obama took a swipe at Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who mocked the former president outside a Cheesecake Factory in Washington, saying he "never thought of" having his own Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner, do the same. He also referenced the controversy over his tan suit during his presidency, joking, "I am old enough to remember when a president wearing a tan suit was a major national controversy. They were very upset, and I know I looked good in that suit."
The exchange comes as both Obama and Trump are stumping for candidates in the final days of a competitive midterm cycle. Obama appeared in Georgia to support Sen. Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, praising Ossoff for his ability to "stir up some good trouble" and Bottoms for being "in it for the right reasons."
According to Decision Desk HQ, Ossoff holds an 89 percent chance of defeating Republican Rep. Mike Collins, while Bottoms faces a tight toss-up race against Republican Rick Jackson. Obama's rally was part of a broader push to energize Democratic voters in key states.
