Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent gave a stinging rebuke to former President Barack Obama after he criticized President Donald Trump’s White House renovations.
During a rally for Democrat candidates in Ohio on Saturday, Obama said Trump had put “gold everywhere,” adding, “He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory,” Fox Business reported Monday.
In response, Bessent enjoyed lunch at a Cheesecake Factory in Washington, DC, on Monday and shared his thoughts on Obama’s comments, suggesting the former Democrat president lacked taste when it came to the style of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
“This is the man who built the museum and it looks like Darth Vader’s tomb. I had a great meal. I always have a great meal, and I would tell the Martha’s Vineyard set to give it a try,” Bessent told a reporter outside the restaurant:
Social media users were quick to share their thoughts on Obama’s comments, with many posting altered photos of the presidential center.
“Darth Vader’s tomb is generous. Obama spent years lecturing America on taste and then built a concrete bunker in Jackson Park. Bessent wins this one,” one user commented, while someone else replied, “Who knew the Cheesecake Factory would become a battleground state?”
The total cost for Obama’s presidential center has reportedly climbed to $1 billion, leaving extensive bills for taxpayers, and its workers have begun organizing a union after claiming they were treated poorly by leadership.
President Trump also responded to Obama’s comments, telling LindellTV, “I’ve taken care of the White House. I’ve fixed it with the finest artisans in the world… it was in horrible shape… I’ve reskinned the building beautifully with the highest, most talented people.”
“Guys like Obama, they would pass the front door, they’d see the broken masonry, they’d see the beautiful pilasters that were all broken, for years they were broken. And he wouldn’t notice because he doesn’t notice that. He doesn’t notice dirt and filth that hadn’t been cleaned. The walls hadn’t been cleaned for years. He doesn’t notice areas that haven’t been painted. It’s very easy for me to do, I do it very, very simply because it’s my nature. I’m a very clean person,” Trump added.
“The White House is now in the best shape it’s been since 1792 when it was built. It’s in beautiful shape. You take a look at it, it looks beautiful, and I’m proud to do it,” he said.
“The White House, to President Obama, is a symbol of America. It has to be cleaned, the columns can’t be broken, the bricks can’t be falling off from under the plaster, and for you to say its a Cheesecake Factory that just shows why you were a lousy president,” Trump concluded:
Click here to read about the history of White House renovations.