Obama says White House focused on Cheesecake Factory joke instead of inflation

Former President Barack Obama criticized the Trump administration during a Georgia campaign rally, on its response to his Cheesecake Factory joke.

Former President Barack Obama is accusing the Trump administration of focusing more on his joke about President Donald Trump’s White House renovations than on the economic pressures facing Americans.

Speaking Wednesday at a campaign rally in Georgia, Obama criticized the administration’s response to his recent comparison of the White House’s gold-colored décor to a Cheesecake Factory designed by former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Obama was campaigning for Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff and Georgia gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms ahead of the midterm elections.

“They mobilized a whole-of-government response to that joke, not to inflation, but to that joke,” Obama said, according to The Hill. He argued that Republicans were drawing attention away from issues that directly affect voters, particularly the rising cost of everyday goods and dining out. The controversy began during a campaign stop in Cleveland, Ohio, where Obama mocked the reported $900 million renovation figure associated with Trump’s White House projects.

The former president joked that the building looked as though Saddam Hussein had opened a Cheesecake Factory. The comparison was referencing the gold-adorned interiors associated with the former Iraqi leader’s palaces. Trump responded by defending the restaurant chain and attacking Obama’s presidency. He also criticized the former president’s comments about the White House’s appearance.

Obama addressed the backlash in Georgia, joking that, as a father of two daughters, he had spent plenty of time at Cheesecake Factory, Chuck E. Cheese and California Pizza Kitchen. He then quickly returned to the issue he wanted voters to consider: affordability. “The real problem is the price has gotten so high, a lot of folks can barely afford to go out to eat,” Obama said, arguing that the administration should be more concerned about the cost of living.

He also said the White House had not directly challenged his argument about its responsibility for rising prices. Obama compared the uproar to the controversy surrounding a tan suit he wore during his presidency, which attracted criticism from some commentators in 2014. “I am old enough to remember when a president wearing a tan suit was a major national controversy,” he said, adding that he knew he looked good in it.

The comparison underscored his argument that political attention can shift toward relatively minor controversies while major public concerns receive less scrutiny. Trump’s renovation projects have included changes to the Rose Garden, a new granite helipad on the South Lawn, his grand ballroom, and other decorative updates.

Obama’s Georgia appearance was also part of Democrats’ efforts to mobilize voters in competitive statewide races. He backed Ossoff’s bid for a second Senate term against Republican Rep. Mike Collins and endorsed Bottoms in the gubernatorial contest against Republican businessman Rick Jackson.