Former President Barack Obama took the stage at a Georgia rally to campaign for Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff—and delivered a fresh round of jokes and criticism aimed at President Donald Trump.
Obama reserved his sharpest punchlines for the White House’s response to his earlier remarks, expanding on a comparison in which he said the renovations resembled Saddam Hussein opening a Cheesecake Factory.
“The President wasn’t even mad about the Saddam Hussein comparison,” Obama said. “That part didn’t bother him—but he was very upset about the Cheesecake Factory part.”
Obama joked that the remark had “mobilized” the entire government before describing how the administration allegedly responded to his comments.
“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 took aim at members of Trump’s Cabinet, singling out 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 said.
Obama began his broader critique by returning to Trump’s extensive remodeling efforts 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 told the crowd, drawing loud laughter.
Former President Barack Obama took the stage at a Georgia rally to campaign for Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff while launching a fresh attack against President Donald Trump
Supporters and rally attendees arrive at The Arena at Southlake for the Democratic Party’s “United for Georgia” campaign rally in Morrow, Georgia
The former President’s visit is intended to build 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
After pausing for effect, Obama assured the audience that he was not exaggerating his description of the White House.
“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.”
Often described as the Democratic Party’s “closer,” Obama headlined the Atlanta rally to support key candidates ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
The former President’s appearance was aimed at energizing voters behind 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.
Obama delivered a similar series of jokes during a Saturday campaign appearance for Democrats in Ohio, quipping that Trump “should be on HGTV” because of his focus on renovation projects.
In one of his most widely circulated lines about the administration’s décor, Obama said, “He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.” The comment came despite criticism surrounding the design of Obama’s own presidential library in Chicago’s South Side.
Trump responded Monday before leaving Joint Base Andrews for a campaign event in Mississippi. He accused his predecessor of failing to properly maintain the executive residence, saying, “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.’
During a Saturday campaign appearance for Democrats in Ohio, Obama poked fun at his successor’s passion for building projects, remarking that Trump ‘should be on HGTV’
Hitting back at Barack Obama’s weekend gibe comparing the refurbished White House to a chain restaurant, President Donald Trump insisted Monday that his predecessor failed to properly maintain the historic executive residence
‘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.