How the Cheesecake Factory got dragged into a midterms food fight
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Then-President Obama surveys the dessert counter at Manny's Coffee Shop and Deli in Chicago in 2008, alongside aide Valerie Jarrett. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
The Cheesecake Factory finds itself in the middle of the midterms war of words after former President Obama used the restaurant chain to mock President Trump's White House makeover.
Why it matters: Obama's jab has ignited a debate over class and cultural elitism, with conservatives accusing the former president of looking down on ordinary Americans.
Driving the news: On Saturday, former President Obama criticized Trump's changes to the White House during a rally in Ohio for Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown and gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton.
- "I mean, I don't know if you've noticed, but he seems very focused on home renovations," Obama said. "He should be on HGTV."
- He added: "What's up with the gold? I mean, he's got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory."
- Trump attacked Obama in a Truth Social post hours later, though he did not directly address the Cheesecake Factory remark.
The backdrop: Obama was mocking Trump's extensive White House renovations, including construction of a ballroom and the addition of elaborate gold decorations to the Oval Office.
- Obama's broader criticism was that Trump is prioritizing White House renovations over lowering costs for Americans — a major issue heading into the midterms.
- The Cheesecake Factory is known for its ornate interiors, gold accents, decorative columns and famously enormous menus.
What they're saying: Critics called out Obama for ridiculing a restaurant popular with many everyday Americans.
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent slammed Obama outside a Cheesecake Factory in Washington, D.C., this week: "This is the man who built the museum that looks like Darth Vader's tomb," he said, referencing Obama's Presidential Center.
- Conservative influencer Laura Loomer wrote on X: "Cheesecake Factory has good food and it's a place Americans can afford."
- Conservative commentator Scott Jennings, describing Obama, wrote: "Has never been in a Cheesecake Factory. Undefeated at condescending to regular folks."
Yes, but: Defenders of Obama's remarks called the comparison fitting, while political analyst Nate Silver dismissed the backlash as "performative" and "humorless."
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Axios in a statement: "Dumocrats are opposed to anything that celebrates the greatness of our Country because they are America Last losers. Thanks to the Builder-in-Chief, no other president has done more to beautify our Nation's interior than President Trump."
- He added: "President Trump's bold vision is ensuring the People's House and our Nation's Capital will be properly glorified and remain in excellent condition for generations to come. Meanwhile, Barack Hussein Obama will go down as one of the most dishonest, divisive, and destructive Presidents in history."
Flashback: It's not the first time Obama's food choices have stirred accusations of elitism from conservatives.
- In 2009, Obama was criticized for ordering a cheddar cheeseburger with spicy Dijon mustard instead of ketchup at Ray's Hell-Burger in Arlington, Va.
- Conservative commentators called him "President Poupon," arguing that the condiment choice was evidence that he was out of touch with ordinary Americans.
By the numbers: Despite the unflattering headlines, Cheesecake Factory has been a Wall Street star, with its stock more than doubling in 2026 alone, per MarketWatch.
- The company is set to report third-quarter earnings Tuesday, offering a fresh look at Americans' appetite for the restaurant chain.
