Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent responds to Barack Obama's White House joke

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent responded to recent comments by former President Barack Obama regarding the aesthetic renovations of the White House. During a campaign event in Ohio, Obama remarked that the gold-heavy redesign made the White House look as though “Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.”

On Monday, Bessent visited a Cheesecake Factory near the Treasury Department in Washington, D.C., to address the quip. Speaking to reporters, Bessent suggested that the “Martha’s Vineyard set” should try the restaurant's menu. He also criticized the Obama Presidential Center, comparing its architecture to “Darth Vader’s tomb.”

President Donald Trump defended the White House renovations, stating the building is a national symbol that requires proper maintenance, and used the exchange to criticize Obama’s presidency. The verbal back-and-forth has drawn various reactions, with some Republican allies labeling Obama’s remarks as elitist, while others have criticized the exchange as condescending toward the working class.