On Monday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent left a Cheesecake Factory near the White House and spoke critically about former President Barack Obama. The moment was recorded in a Fox Business video as he stood outside the restaurant.
Obama had made his own remarks two days earlier at a campaign rally in Ohio. He compared White House renovation work under President Trump to the casual dining chain.
Bessent’s comments outside the restaurant referenced both a building linked to Obama and the idea of Martha’s Vineyard visitors trying the food.
Scott Bessent points to Obama’s island home and discusses his restaurant order
Speaking in the clip, Bessent said, “Well, two things. This is the man who built the museum that looks like Darth Vader’s tomb.” He followed that by saying, “I would tell the Martha’s Vineyard set to give it a try.”
Those words referred to the home the Obama family keeps on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. The property spans nearly 30 acres and sits along the Edgartown Great Pond. The family has spent time there often since departing the White House in 2017.
Bessent has handled a large amount of real estate himself. According to a 2024 report in The Wall Street Journal, he has bought and sold more than $127 million worth of property across the United States.
He also described his usual order at the chain. Bessent said the French dip cheeseburger is what he always gets, and he called Monday’s version “excellent.”
Obama delivered his Saturday comments while supporting Democratic candidates in Ohio. He appeared for gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and for former Senator Sherrod Brown, who is trying to return to the Senate. Both are running as Republicans face a challenging midterm landscape, with Trump’s approval rating at a historic low.
At the rally, Obama said the president “seems very focused on home renovations. He should be on HGTV.” He then asked, “What’s with the gold? … He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.” Obama also brought up other Washington projects, including the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and said “some no-bid contract got it all messed up.”
The Washington Post has reported that the Trump administration is expected to spend at least $900 million on construction projects at the White House. Asked about the Republican Party’s outlook ahead of the midterms, Bessent answered, “I’ve been out on the campaign trail with the president, and there’s great enthusiasm.”
A New York Times/Siena poll on the generic ballot showed 51 percent of respondents planning to vote for the Democratic candidate for Congress and 39 percent for the Republican candidate. That environment has also created difficulties for Republican Senate hopefuls facing Democratic opponents in places such as Texas and Kansas.
Published: Oct 27, 2026 10:15 am