Bessent visits Cheesecake Factory after Obama mocks Trump’s White House renovations
publishers 27articles 32first reported 25 Oct, 00:05 UTCdeveloping since 25 Oct · 8 editions
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ate at a Cheesecake Factory in Washington on Monday and criticized former President Barack Obama after Obama compared President Donald Trump’s White House renovations to the restaurant chain.
During a Saturday campaign rally in Ohio for gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and Senate candidate Sherrod Brown, Obama joked that Trump was overly focused on renovations and said, “He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.”
After leaving the restaurant Monday, Bessent told a Fox Business reporter that he had enjoyed his meal and urged the “Martha’s Vineyard set” to try the chain. He also criticized the design of the Obama Presidential Center, saying its museum looks like “Darth Vader’s tomb.” Bessent said he ordered a French Dip Cheeseburger and later recommended Cheeseburger Spring Rolls in a post on X directed at Obama.
Trump also responded Monday, defending the renovations and saying the White House had needed repairs. “We have to explain to Obama that the White House is a symbol of America, and it has to be maintained properly,” Trump said before traveling to a campaign rally in Mississippi. He said the building had been in poor condition and that his administration had used skilled artisans to restore it.
The exchange made Cheesecake Factory an unexpected campaign talking point ahead of next week’s election.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 3 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 60 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
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- 27
- Source articles
- 32
- Given to the writer
- 8, 3 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 60 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
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