Obama Compares White House Renovation to Cheesecake Factory, Designer Pushes Back

Former President Barack Obama has drawn sharp criticism for comparing the Trump administration’s White House renovations to a Cheesecake Factory, prompting a public rebuttal from one of the chain’s former designers. Speaking at a Democratic rally in Cleveland ahead of the midterm elections, Obama mocked the decor changes, stating, “There’s gold everywhere... He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory” Source: CNN.

President Donald Trump immediately defended his aesthetic choices, telling reporters, “For you to say it’s a Cheesecake Factory, that just shows why you were a lousy president” Source: CNN. The comparison highlights a broader culture war skirmish regarding the estimated $900 million spent on redecorating the executive residence, which includes demolishing the Rose Garden and adding gilded accents Source: Ground News.

Rick McCormack, the Cheesecake Factory’s former vice president of design, also pushed back against the analogy. He argued that the comparison was inaccurate because the restaurant’s aesthetic relies on affordable opulence—such as limestone floors and hand-plastered walls—rather than the excessive gold appliqués seen in the White House. “It really is two different environments,” McCormack said, noting that the brand’s look was devised by founder David Overton to convey grandeur on a budget Source: CNN.

While some commentators have previously linked Trump’s love for marble and gold to the style of authoritarian leaders like Saddam Hussein, McCormack insisted that dragging the restaurant into political discourse was unnecessary. “I think it’s a little bit sad that the pettiness of politics would create that sound bite,” he stated Source: CNN. The incident underscores the intense scrutiny facing the Trump administration’s interior design decisions as voters head to the polls.

• Obama criticized the “gold everywhere” in the White House during a Cleveland rally Source: CNN
• Trump retaliated by calling Obama a “lousy president” Source: CNN
• Former designer Rick McCormack rejected the comparison as inaccurate Source: CNN
• The renovation cost is estimated at $900 million Source: Ground News