Barack Obama Hits Back at Donald Trump as Cheesecake Factory Row Turns Sour — 'He Didn’t Even Mind Being Compared to Saddam Hussein'
Barack Obama has responded to Donald Trump's reaction to mocking his White House renovations.
Oct. 29 2026, Published 10:10 a.m. ET
Barack Obama has mocked Donald Trump's response to his Cheesecake Factory joke about his White House renovations.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the former president, 65, made the comments while taking to the stage in Georgia to campaign for Democratic senator Jon Ossoff.
'He Was Very Upset About The Cheesecake Factory Part'
Obama joked about Trump's response to gag.
He made fun of the Trump administration escalating his gag comparing the White House renovations to "Saddam Hussein opening a Cheesecake Factory", sparking rapturous laughter from supporters.
Obama said: "The President wasn't even mad about the Saddam Hussein comparison.
"That part didn't bother him — but he was very upset about the Cheesecake Factory part."
Obama claimed he "mobilized" the whole government over the joke, and continued to describe the response from the administration following the remarks.
He explained: "The White House even called the Secretary of the Treasury.
Trump's Ballroom 'Bigger Than White House'
Obama made anther jibe about the new White House ballroom.
"This is the man who is in charge of the economy, the person who's supposed to be figuring out how to make your life more affordable, the guy who's supposed to be figuring out how to lower inflation and reduce interest rates.
"They told him he should hold a press conference in front of the Cheesecake Factory!"
Obama also made quips about some of Trump's cabinet secretaries, namely Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
He said: "The defense secretary is laser-focused on very important matters like the jawline and testosterone levels of our troops, and live streaming executions because that's how he thinks you cultivate that manly warrior spirit."
Opening his critiques, Obama once again poked fun at Trump's extensive remodeling projects at the White House, saying: "That guy is building a ballroom that is bigger than the White House.
'There's Gold Everywhere'
Obama sneered at Trump's choice of decor.
"He's paved over the rose garden. Put a helicopter pad on the south lawn, and there is gold everywhere. Take a picture. So much gold."
Pausing for emphasis, Obama assured the audience he wasn't exaggerating the details.
"I'm not making this up," Obama continued. "He, the President of the United States, is spending time super-gluing gold medallions to the mantle in the Oval Office."
As Radar previously reported, Trump did not take kindly to Obama’s original comments surrounding his White House glow up.
He said he was forced into giving the building a revamp as Obama, 65, left the place in a poor condition.
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Trump slammed Obama for leaving White House in a poor state.
He said he told the press to tell Obama that "the White House is a symbol of America and when it's filthy, dirty and broken, when the windows are cracked, when the exterior monuments on the outside are good on one side and cracked on the other side, people notice that."
Trump added that he'd gone to the White House 20 years ago and was "surprised" by the condition it was in, saying: "This place is in bad shape, it really is.
"I made up for lost time because I did a job and it's in better shape than it was built and more beautiful."
He also dismissed the notion that he "spends all his time" on renovations, saying he "literally" does it while walking home from the Oval Office.
