During a rally in Cleveland, Ohio, former President Barack Obama took a swipe at President Donald Trump’s renovations of the White House. He jokingly likened the historic residence to a Cheesecake Factory operated by Saddam Hussein, which is quite an image, isn’t it?
This remark came as Obama campaigned for Democratic candidates Amy Acton for governor and Sherrod Brown for the Senate, and it was just ten days before the midterm elections. “I mean, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he seems very focused on home renovations,” Obama quipped. “He should be on HGTV.”
He went on to highlight various projects Trump has undertaken, like the ballroom renovations, the changes to the Rose Garden, and the new helipad on the South Lawn, while also poking fun at Trump’s taste for gold decor. “He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory,” Obama added, which certainly paints a vivid picture, but, you know, these renovations do include some practical upgrades too.
For instance, the Rose Garden underwent significant changes in 2025, where the central lawn was replaced with limestone paving to create a more functional patio for events, maintaining the traditional roses around the edges. Additionally, Trump recently introduced a new granite helipad featuring the presidential seal, which is expected to improve logistics for Marine One.
Obama’s critique doesn’t stop at the renovations—it also extended to Trump’s foreign policies, particularly concerning Iran, which he argues have led to rising energy prices. “Most importantly, he decided to start an unnecessary war that nobody asked for and nobody voted for,” Obama claimed, and he defended the nuclear agreement established during his presidency by stating, “Iran didn’t have nuclear weapons because I had put a deal in place that everybody knows kept them from getting nukes.”
Looking back, Trump had withdrawn the U.S. from that agreement in 2018, asserting that its terms weren’t sufficient and didn’t adequately consider Iran’s missile programs. The original deal allowed for sanctions relief in return for curbing Iran’s nuclear activities and permitting inspections. Some reports indicated Iranian compliance pre-withdrawal, but after that, Iran ramped up its uranium enrichment beyond the agreed limits.
In his speech, Obama also criticized Trump’s overall policies that he believes raised consumer costs, particularly pointing to immigration enforcement while urging Ohio voters to hold Republicans accountable. Acton is up against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy for the governor’s position, while Brown is challenging Republican Senator Jon Husted.
Interestingly, although Obama won Ohio in both 2008 and 2012, the state has leaned toward Trump in his three presidential bids, which raises questions about shifting political dynamics.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comments regarding Obama’s statements.
