US President defends renovations as former president mocks gold decorations and planned ballroom ahead of midterm elections
US President Donald Trump has criticised former President Barack Obama after he mocked the Trump administration’s renovations at the White House, comparing the building’s new appearance to a Cheesecake Factory restaurant opened by former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
Trump responded describing Obama’s remark as evidence of poor presidential leadership. The exchange has added a fresh episode to the long-running political rivalry between the two former and current presidents, as campaigning intensifies ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections.
“For you to say it’s a Cheesecake Factory, that just shows why you were a lousy president,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews while preparing to travel to Mississippi for a campaign rally.
Trump also accused the Obama administration of neglecting parts of the White House during his eight years in office, alleging that sections of the building had suffered from deteriorating paintwork, damaged ornaments and uncleaned walls.
The president defended his renovation projects, saying he had used skilled artisans to improve the historic building. He argued that the White House represents the United States and should be properly maintained.
Obama made the original remark on Saturday, October 24, while campaigning for Democratic candidates in Ohio. He criticised Trump’s focus on construction and interior decoration, suggesting that the president should be appearing on the home-improvement television programme HGTV.
The former president took particular aim at the extensive use of gold decorations, changes to the Rose Garden and plans for a large ballroom at the White House.
“He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory,” Obama said, using the comparison to ridicule the scale and style of Trump’s renovations.
Obama’s comments formed part of a broader criticism of the Trump administration’s priorities. While addressing supporters, the former president also attacked what he described as the administration’s “chaos and cruelty” and urged voters to support Democratic candidates.
The remarks came as both parties intensified their campaigns ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, which will determine control of the US Congress and influence the direction of Trump’s remaining two years in office.
The dispute has drawn attention to Trump’s extensive changes to the presidential residence, including gold-accented decorations, alterations to the Rose Garden and the proposed construction of a ballroom following the demolition of the East Wing.
Trump has presented the work as necessary improvements to an important national building, while Obama has questioned the president’s emphasis on renovation projects amid broader concerns about the cost of living and government priorities.
The White House’s official social media account also joined the exchange, publishing a mock Cheesecake Factory-style menu that presented claimed Trump administration achievements as menu items.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent separately responded to Obama’s criticism by visiting a Cheesecake Factory restaurant in Washington, DC, and taking aim at the design of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, which has also attracted public debate over its appearance and cost.
The latest exchange underscores how personal criticism and disputes over symbolism have become part of the political contest surrounding the midterm elections. Neither the White House renovations nor the competing remarks have resolved the broader disagreement over the administration’s priorities, leaving the issue as another point of contention between Republicans and Democrats.
Donald Trump fires back at Barack Obama over a Cheesecake Factory comparison mocking White House renovations, escalating their political exchange ahead of the 2026 US midterm elections.