Barack Obama Mocks Donald Trump's White House Renovations and Accuses Him of Self-Enrichment in Blistering Attack: 'These Are Not Serious People!'
Barack Obama took aim at Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Ohio.
Oct. 25 2026, Updated 12:29 p.m. ET
Barack Obama took aim at Donald Trump over his White House renovations and accused his administration of putting personal interests ahead of the country, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The former president also mocked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and questioned whether the people running the administration were taking their jobs seriously.
Barack Obama Mocks Donald Trump's White House Makeover
Barack Obama mocked Donald Trump's White House renovations.
On October 24, Obama addressed a packed crowd at Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio, where supporters had reportedly waited for hours, with lines extending across several downtown blocks.
During his speech, Obama took a swipe at the president's changes to the White House.
Trump made the historic residence look "like Saddam Hussein opened up a Cheesecake Factory," Obama joked.
Obama also questioned whether Trump was paying enough attention to the issues affecting Americans, including grocery prices and foreign conflicts.
"Does anybody really think this guy in the White House right now is spending all that time thinking about these issues?" Obama asked.
"I mean, I don't know if you've noticed, but he seems very focused on home renovations," he added. "He should be on HGTV."
Barack Obama spoke to the crowd in Cleveland, Ohio on October 24.
Barack Obama Takes Aim at Donald Trump's 'Drain the Swamp' Promise
Barack Obama called out Donald Trump for promising to 'drain the swamp.'
Obama also revisited Trump's pledge to clean up Washington, suggesting the administration had fallen short of its promises.
"You remember that old thing about 'drain the swamp'?" he asked the crowd.
"The only thing that got drained was the Reflecting Pool in the National Mall after some no-bid contract got it all messed up," Obama continued, prompting laughter.
The former president described Trump as an agent of "chaos and cruelty."
Pete Hegseth Gets Pulled Into the Crossfire
Barack Obama also mentioned Pete Hegseth during his speech on Saturday.
Obama also critiqued Hegseth during his fiery speech.
"How much time does the defense secretary spend looking at himself in the mirror?" Obama asked, poking fun at Hegseth's carefully styled hair.
"These are not serious people!" the father of two declared.
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Barack Obama and Donald Trump Hit the Campaign Trail
Both Barack Obama and Donald Trump have hit the campaign trail for the midterm elections.
Obama's Ohio appearance supported Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and former Senator Sherrod Brown, who is challenging Republican incumbent Jon Husted.
After the rally, Obama traveled to Detroit to support Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
Trump was recently campaigning in Georgia, where Republicans are fighting to retain a Senate seat and win the governor's mansion.
A Republican source told Radar that a significant GOP defeat could prompt the president to challenge the outcome.
"If Republicans suffer a heavy defeat in November, there is every reason to believe Trump will challenge the result," the source claimed. "He could well encourage his supporters to descend on Capitol Hill again, just like after the 2020 election."
