Obama jokes Trump's White House looks like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory
The gist
Former President Barack Obama, at an Ohio rally, joked Trump's White House looks like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.
The line drew laughter and a wave of conservative pushback over elitism.
How it unfolded
- Oct 24, 2026At an Ohio rally for Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown, Obama joked Trump 'should be on HGTV' and that the White House looks like 'Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory,' drawing laughter.
- Oct 24, 2026Obama also mocked a ballroom 'bigger than the White House,' a paved-over Rose Garden, a South Lawn helicopter pad and 'gold everywhere.' Aaron Rupar posted the quote on X.
- Oct 25, 2026BuzzFeed published a roundup of MAGA reactions; Dexter Wright posted a 2011 Correspondents' Dinner image saying Obama 'predicted it.'