A sarcastic remark by former US president Barack Obama comparing the White House's revamped décor to a palace owned by Saddam Hussein and a branch of Cheesecake Factory has sparked a fresh public feud with President Donald Trump ahead of the 3 November midterm elections.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Ohio on Saturday, Obama mocked Trump's preference for gold décor and the extensive changes made to the presidential residence.
"He's made the White House look like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory," Obama joked, drawing laughter from supporters.
The remark referenced both the lavish reputation of Hussein's palaces and the distinctive interior style associated with the American restaurant chain.
Trump's angry response
The comments quickly drew a reaction from Trump, who defended the renovation works and insisted they were necessary to preserve and upgrade the historic building.
The president argued that he inherited the White House in poor condition and said the improvements were essential.
Trump also questioned Obama's criticism of Cheesecake Factory, describing the company as a successful American business.
However, his response soon broadened into a personal attack on his predecessor.
Trump said Obama's criticism demonstrated why he had been a "terrible president" and insisted that the White House is a symbol of the nation that must be maintained to the highest standards.
Obama: 'They're focused on my joke instead of rising prices'
Obama returned to the issue during a campaign appearance in Atlanta, Georgia, on Wednesday.
This time, he criticised the amount of attention devoted by Trump and his administration to what he characterised as a joke, while Americans continue to face economic pressures and higher living costs.
The former president questioned why the administration had spent so much energy responding to his comments about a restaurant instead of addressing criticism of its economic policies.
With a further touch of humour, Obama suggested Trump appeared more offended by the Cheesecake Factory comparison than by the reference to Saddam Hussein.
Treasury secretary joins the dispute
The row escalated further when US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent entered the debate.
Bessent appeared outside a Cheesecake Factory restaurant in Washington, criticising Obama and portraying the comments as evidence that the former president was disconnected from the everyday habits of ordinary Americans.
The intervention gave Obama fresh material for another joke.
The former president remarked that, during his own administration, he could never have imagined a treasury secretary publicly responding to a humorous comment made at a campaign event.
Obama also stressed that he was well acquainted with the restaurant chain, noting that he frequently visited it when his daughters were younger.
From Trump's gold décor to Obama's tan suit
Obama used the episode to recall another famous political controversy, when his appearance in a tan suit during a 2014 press conference generated widespread debate.
In a sarcastic aside, he said he remembered a time when the colour of a president's suit could become a major political issue.
Midterm backdrop
The dispute comes in the final days of campaigning before the US midterm elections.
Obama has been travelling across key states to support Democratic candidates, while Trump has been mobilising Republican voters.
During his Georgia visit, Obama endorsed Senator Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Behind the dispute over White House décor lies a broader political battle over government priorities, the cost of living and the competing narratives Democrats and Republicans are presenting to voters ahead of the election.
