Obama Mocks Trump's White House Renovations at Cleveland Rally: 'Like Saddam Hussein Opened a Cheesecake Factory'
Former President Barack Obama mocked President Donald Trump's White House renovations at a campaign rally in Cleveland on Saturday, where he stumped for Ohio Democrats Amy Acton, who is running for governor, and former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is running for the Senate, according to Fox News Digital.
What Obama Said in Cleveland
"I mean, I don't know if you've noticed, but he seems very focused on home renovations," Obama said at Cleveland Public Auditorium. "He should be on HGTV."
Obama listed Trump's ballroom project, the Rose Garden makeover and the South Lawn helipad before taking aim at the president's gold decor, Fox News Digital reported. "He's got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory," Obama said.
Obama also criticized Trump's handling of the conflict with Iran, which he blamed for higher energy costs. "Most importantly, he decided to start an unnecessary war that nobody asked for and nobody voted for," Obama said. He defended the 2015 nuclear agreement reached during his presidency, claiming, "Iran didn't have nuclear weapons because I had put a deal in place that everybody knows kept them from getting nukes."
Trump withdrew the United States from that agreement in 2018, arguing its temporary nuclear limits were not enough and that it failed to address Iran's ballistic missile program and its support for militant groups, Fox News Digital noted.
The Renovations and the Ohio Races
The projects Obama mocked include functional upgrades, according to Fox News Digital. The Rose Garden's central lawn was replaced with limestone paving in 2025 to create a patio for events, while the roses were kept around the edges, and a new granite helipad opened in September. The ballroom is meant to give the White House permanent, secure space for large events instead of temporary tents, Fox News Digital reported.
Fox News Digital also noted that the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago has faced criticism over costs that have passed $1 billion, nearly triple its original $350 million estimate, according to its earlier reporting.
Acton faces Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in the governor's race, and Brown is challenging Republican Sen. Jon Husted. The rally came 10 days before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Image: Cleveland Public Auditorium (file photo), Warren LeMay, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
Yossi Schmidt, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Digital Free Press
Hold Everyone Accountable.
Sources: FOX 4 / Fox News Digital, "Obama compares Trump's White House renovations to 'Saddam Hussein opening a Cheesecake Factory' at Ohio rally" (Oct. 24, 2026): https://www.fox4news.com/news/obama-compares-trumps-white-house-renovations-saddam-hussein-opening-cheesecake-factory-ohio-rally
Comments