‘Saddam Hussein opened a cheesecake factory’: Obama’s wild takedown of Trump’s White House makeover – what he said | Today’s news
Former US President Barack Obama launched a satirical attack on Donald Trump’s White House renovation projects, mocking the planned ballroom, changes to the Rose Garden and extensive gold decorations as he campaigned for Democratic candidates ahead of the November 3 election.
Speaking at a rally in Ohio on Saturday (October 24) Obama joked that Trump seemed more interested in home renovations than running the country.
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he seems to be very focused on home renovations. He should be on HGTV,” Obama said, referring to the television network known for home improvement and real estate programming.
“This guy’s building a ballroom that’s bigger than the White House. Paved over the Rose Garden, put a helicopter pad on the South Lawn and there’s gold everywhere! What’s with the gold? Everything – more gold!” he added.
Obama took aim at the president’s aesthetic choices, telling the crowd, “The White House looks like Saddam Hussein opened a cheesecake factory.”
This remark drew laughter and applause from the audience.
Obama’s comments were part of a broader attack on Trump as the former president spoke at rallies in Cleveland, Ohio, and Detroit, Michigan, to rally Democratic voters ahead of the midterm elections.
Obama Urges Voters to Limit Trump’s Power
Obama set up the Nov. 3 election as an opportunity for voters to hold the Trump administration accountable. Republicans currently control both houses of Congress, and Democrats are trying to regain control of one or both.
Acknowledging that Trump will remain in office for another two years, Obama argued that voters could still change the balance of power in Washington by electing Democrats.
“Like it or not, we’re stuck in this for two more years, but we’re not staying with a spineless Congress,” Obama told supporters.
He added that voters had a chance to reject what he described as two years of “chaos and cruelty and corruption and incompetence”.
“We have to flip that circuit breaker, bring some accountability to this government,” Obama said in Michigan, describing the election as an opportunity to rein in the administration.
Obama also urged voters in Ohio and Michigan to cast their ballots early, saying the election represented a chance to bring about political change.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Obama’s criticism of Trump’s renovation projects.
Obama remains a prominent figure among Democratic voters, and the party is trying to use his campaign to boost candidates in hotly contested races ahead of the midterms. The Nov. 3 vote will determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives and part of the Senate and shape the balance of power for the rest of Trump’s term.
