Bessent visits Cheesecake Factory after Obama’s White House renovation joke
publishers 31articles 36first 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, Obama mocked Trump’s extensive use of gold decor and construction projects at the White House. “He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory,” Obama said.
Leaving the restaurant Monday, Bessent told a Fox Business reporter that Obama had built a presidential center resembling “Darth Vader’s tomb.” He praised his meal, said he ordered his usual French Dip Cheeseburger and advised “the Martha’s Vineyard set to give it a try.” In a subsequent post directed at Obama, Bessent recommended the chain’s Cheeseburger Spring Rolls.
Trump also responded Monday, defending his renovations and saying the White House had required repairs and cleaning. According to Chron, he called Obama “a stupid person” and “a lousy president” over the comparison.
The White House joined the exchange online, posting an AI-generated Cheesecake Factory-style menu that recast Trump administration policies as menu items and said the only thing larger than the restaurant’s menu was Trump’s list of accomplishments. The dispute unfolded as Obama, Trump and their allies campaigned ahead of the following week’s election.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 4 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 72 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 31
- Source articles
- 36
- Given to the writer
- 8, 4 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 72 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →