Obama mocks Trump for ‘mobilizing whole government’ to respond to his Cheesecake Factory joke: ‘He was very upset’

Former President Barack Obama took the stage in Georgia to campaign for Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, with a fresh attack against President Donald Trump.

Obama saved his biggest comedic lines for the White House’s reaction to his earlier critiques, escalating a dig where he compared the White House renovations to Saddam Hussein opening a Cheesecake Factory.

‘The President wasn’t even mad about the Saddam Hussein comparison,’ Obama observed. ‘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.

‘The White House even called the Secretary of the Treasury. 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,’ Obama said. 

‘They told him he should hold a press conference in front of the Cheesecake Factory!’

Obama also made sharp digs at Trump’s cabinet secretaries. Specifically, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

‘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,’ Obama remarked.

Opening his critiques, Obama once again poked fun at Trump’s extensive remodeling projects at the White House. 

‘That guy is building a ballroom that is bigger than the White House. 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,’ Obama said to roaring laughter. 

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.’ 

Obama, often called the Democratic Party’s ‘closer,’ headlined the rally in Atlanta to boost key candidates ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

The former President’s visit aims to rally support for Sen. Jon Ossoff, who is seeking reelection against Republican Rep. Mike Collins, and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is running against Republican Rick Jackson.

During a Saturday campaign appearance for Democrats in Ohio, Obama made a similar line of jokes at his successor’s penchant for renovation projects, remarking that Trump ‘should be on HGTV.’ 

Taking a now infamous jab at the administration’s decor, Obama said, ‘He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory,’ a remark delivered despite pushback over the design of his own presidential library in South Side Chicago.

Hitting back on Monday before departing Joint Base Andrews for a campaign event in Mississippi, President Trump insisted his predecessor failed to properly maintain the executive residence, declaring, ‘For you to say it’s a Cheesecake Factory, that just shows why you were a lousy president.’ 

Dismissing Obama’s critique, Trump asserted that his predecessor simply does not understand because he is not a ‘smart guy.’

‘He’s not smart at all because of the way he ran the country. Only a stupid person would run the country like that,’ Trump said.

‘We have to explain that to Obama because he doesn’t understand it because he’s not a smart guy,’ continuing that Obama consistently overlooked ‘dirt and filth’ and walls that had not ‘been cleaned for years.’

‘Guys like Obama don’t see it… He doesn’t see broken ornaments on a building,’ Trump argued while defending his updates to the historic residence. 

Firmly standing by his work, the president concluded, ‘I’ve taken care of the White House. I fixed it with the finest artisans in the world,’ before adding, ‘We have to explain to Obama that the White House is a symbol of America, and it has to be maintained properly.’

Obama’s appearance highlights a flurry of political stops in Georgia.

Trump recently held campaign events in Dalton on Oct. 16 and Perry on Oct. 24.

Meanwhile, former Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to visit the state later this week, with plans to attend the Fulton County Democratic Party’s annual gala on Friday.

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finished on October 26 found that Trump’s approval rating is at just 32 percent, with 66 percent of voters disapproving.

Democrats also led Republicans 53 to 44 percent among likely voters on the generic congressional ballot, after undecided voters’ preferences were accounted for.

A majority of respondents claimed living costs were a big issue for them.