Bessent mocks Obama outside Cheesecake Factory in DC

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent mocked former President Obama outside a Cheesecake Factory in Washington on Monday after Obama likened recent White House renovations to the famous restaurant chain during a Saturday rally.

“Well, two things. This is the man who built the museum that looks like Darth Vader’s tomb,” Bessent said while exiting a Cheesecake Factory location near the White House, according to a clip from Fox Business. “I would tell the Martha’s Vineyard set to give it a try.”

The comment refers to Obama’s home on the Massachusetts island , which the family has visited frequently since leaving the White House in 2017. The home sits on nearly 30 acres fronting the Edgartown Great Pond. Bessent, for his part, has bought and sold more than $127 million worth of U.S. real estate, The Wall Street Journal reported in 2024.

The Treasury secretary added that he has always gotten the French dip cheeseburger from the Cheesecake Factory, and it was “excellent” Monday.

Obama on Saturday blasted President Trump during a campaign stop in Ohio, saying the president “seems very focused on home renovations. He should be on HGTV.”

“What’s with the gold? … He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory,” the former president quipped, referring to the late Iraqi authoritarian leader.

He also criticized Trump’s other renovation projects around Washington, including the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, noting that “some no-bid contract got it all messed up.”

The Washington Post reported the Trump administration is expected to spend at least $900 million on White House construction projects.

Obama was in Ohio to campaign for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who’s hoping to take back his seat in the upper chamber. Acton and Brown are attempting to navigate a midterm environment that has proved tumultuous for the GOP amid Trump’s approval rating hitting a historic low.

When asked about the Republican Party’s chances in the fast-approaching midterm elections, Bessent responded, “I’ve been out on the campaign trail with the president, and there’s great enthusiasm.”

A New York Times/Siena poll, using the generic ballot, found 51 percent of respondents said they were likely to vote for the Democratic candidate for Congress, while 39 percent chose the Republican candidate.

The midterm environment has also affected GOP Senate candidates who are facing tough Democratic challengers in red strongholds like Texas and Kansas.