Obama likens Trump’s White House to The Cheesecake Factory, but his was no better
By Easton Martin
Recent architectural and interior modifications to the White House under President Donald Trump have placed executive mansion renovations at the center of campaign trail exchanges ahead of the midterm elections.
During a campaign event on October 24, former President Barack Obama mocked the current White House renovations, comparing the extensive gold interior accents, the paving of the Rose Garden, the addition of a South Lawn helicopter pad, and the construction of a large new ballroom to a Cheesecake Factory.
In response at a Monday rally in Mississippi, Trump defended the structural upgrades and gold detailing, noting that the White House was in poor physical condition when he returned to office and that the renovations have left the executive mansion in its best structural shape since its original construction in 1792.
The two administrations took very different approaches to the preservation and appearance of the executive residence. Coordinated by interior designer Michael S. Smith, the Obama White House from 2009 to 2017 favored understated, muted beige decor. The private residence and Oval Office redesigns utilized neutral palettes, off-white tones, simple wool rugs, and contemporary abstract pieces borrowed from museum collections rather than major structural expansions or classical gilding.
If President Trump’s renovations look like The Cheesecake Factory, then the Obama White House was reminiscent of A Best Western from the early 2000s.
Trump’s overhaul has focused on high-visibility classical grandeur and permanent infrastructure additions, incorporating gilded moldings, traditional drapery, expanded formal event space through the new ballroom construction, and hardscaping upgrades to the exterior grounds to accommodate large-scale state functions and aviation logistics.
