Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Fires Back at Barack Obama Over White House Renovations With Cheesecake Factory Lunch and Architectural Jab

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has fired back at former President Barack Obama over criticisms of White House renovations, turning to a Washington, D.C., location of the Cheesecake Factory for a public counterpunch that also targeted the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.

The exchange followed remarks made by Obama during a campaign rally in Ohio, where he criticized President Donald Trump’s ongoing architectural and aesthetic updates to the executive mansion. Addressing supporters while campaigning for Democratic candidates, Obama took aim at the administration’s affinity for gold décor and interior changes, which include work on a new ballroom, modifications to the Rose Garden, and the construction of a new helipad.

“He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory,” Obama quipped during the rally, suggesting the current president was overly focused on home renovations that belonged on a home improvement network.

Bessent responded on Monday during an interview while discussing broader economic policy, trade tensions with Canada and Mexico, and a newly announced administration initiative dubbed Operation Economic Outcast, which aims to pressure international nations into cutting economic ties with Iran. Rather than merely issuing a verbal statement, the Treasury secretary made a point of visiting a Washington-area Cheesecake Factory for lunch.

When asked about his menu choice by interviewers, Bessent noted that he ordered a French dip cheeseburger, describing it as his standard order at the restaurant chain. He then pivoted to criticize the design and rising costs associated with the Obama Presidential Center currently under construction on Chicago’s South Side.

“This is the man who built the museum and it looks like Darth Vader’s tomb,” Bessent said, adding a message directed at critics: “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.”

The architectural appearance of the Obama Presidential Center has drawn varied public commentary, including a nickname given by some critics who refer to its towering 225-foot, granite-clad structure as the “Obamalisk.” Alongside its aesthetics, the project’s financial scope has drawn scrutiny. The projected price tag for the presidential center has climbed significantly from an initial estimate of $350 million to more than $1 billion. In addition to the private construction costs, public infrastructure adjustments associated with the project have required hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funds.

Bessent has consistently positioned himself as an aggressive defender of the administration’s agenda, frequently trading public barbs with political opponents. His recent exchanges extend beyond the former president to include congressional critics. He recently dismissed a letter from Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., telling her that she had opted to continue a letter-writing campaign and participate in political fodder rather than study introductory economics.