Barack Obama mocks Trump's White House renovations in Ohio rally

During a campaign rally in Cleveland, Ohio, former President Barack Obama criticized President Donald Trump's extensive White House renovation projects. Obama ridiculed the administration's focus on aesthetic changes, such as the construction of a large ballroom, the installation of a helicopter pad on the South Lawn, and the replacement of the Rose Garden's lawn with limestone paving.

Obama specifically targeted the use of gold decor throughout the executive mansion, quipping that Trump has “got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.” He suggested that the president's preoccupation with home improvements, which he joked made Trump suited for “HGTV,” comes at the expense of addressing critical national issues like the cost of living and foreign policy.

The former president used the appearance to endorse Democratic candidates for the upcoming midterm elections, including Amy Acton for governor and Sherrod Brown for the U.S. Senate. In response to the criticism, Trump attacked Obama on social media, calling him “grossly incompetent” and criticizing his administration's handling of the Iran nuclear deal.