Trump says Obama did not notice ‘dirt and filth’ at the White House and that a Cheesecake Factory joke ‘just shows why you were a lousy president’

President Donald Trump has responded to a joke Barack Obama made about the White House renovations. At a rally in Corinth, Mississippi, Trump told supporters the building was in bad shape. He also spoke about Obama to reporters before the rally.

According to Daily Mail, Trump stated that he asked reporters to pass along to Obama that people notice when a building that stands for the country is “filthy, dirty and broken.” He added that he first visited about two decades ago and was “surprised” by how it looked.

The report also quoted Trump pushing back on the idea that he spends too much time on renovations. He stated that he deals with them while heading back from the Oval Office. He recalled looking up and remarking, “boy that wall is really bad,” and credited “really talented people” for the repairs. Trump added, “I fix things very good, very beautifully and I always build beautiful and inexpensive.”

Obama made the joke in Cleveland

Obama made the joke at a rally in Cleveland on Saturday, Oct. 24. There, he backed Amy Acton, a candidate for governor, and Sherrod Brown, a Senate candidate. He criticized Trump’s home renovations, listing the ballroom, the redone Rose Garden and the new helicopter pad before moving on to the gold decor. Obama stated that Trump had the building “looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory” and that Trump “should be on HGTV.”

Trump pushed back on the Cheesecake Factory comparison. At the Mississippi rally, he stated that “this isn’t a Cheesecake Factory,” called the chain “a very successful company,” and added, “He doesn’t like successful companies.” Before the rally, in remarks at Joint Base Andrews, he stated that the comparison “just shows why you were a lousy president.” He added that Obama “doesn’t notice dirt and filth that hadn’t been cleaned.”

In the same remarks, Trump defended the upkeep, stating that “the White House is a symbol of America, and it has to be maintained properly.” He added that Obama does not see “broken ornaments on a building.”

Coverage of the Cleveland rally stated that limestone now covers the Rose Garden’s central lawn, which was replaced in 2025. It added that a new granite helipad bearing the presidential seal opened in September. Separately, the ballroom is meant to be a lasting, protected space for big government events. Obama also stated that Trump is “clearly not focused on lowering prices for you.”

Trump has described the projects as needed repairs. The work includes tearing down the East Wing to build an event space, repainting outside columns, paving the Rose Garden and adding gold fixtures to the Oval Office. The White House’s X account also posted a fake Cheesecake Factory menu listing Trump’s accomplishments.