Bessent dines at Cheesecake Factory, slams Obama over Trump joke

Let them eat cheesecake?

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday became the latest right-wing critic to accuse former President Barack Obama of elitism for mockingly comparing President Donald Trump‘s ostentatious White House renovations to the Cheesecake Factory.

But Bessent, a former hedge fund manager whose net worth has been estimated at around $600 million, put his money where his mouth is — dining at the chain restaurant and praising its food before giving the Democratic ex-president a slice of his mind.

“This is the man who built the museum [that] looks like Darth Vader’s tomb,” Bessent told a Fox Business reporter who asked about Obama’s remark as he left the restaurant near the White House. Bessent was apparently referring to the Obama Presidential Center, a monolithic structure that opened in June.

“I had a great meal, always have a great meal, and I would just tell the Martha’s Vineyard set to give it a try,” Bessent said. Obama vacationed on Martha’s Vineyard as president, and he and his wife Michelle now own an estate on the exclusive island.

Bessent said he ordered “what I always have: the French Dip Cheeseburger.”

That’s a “Charbroiled Cheeseburger Served on a Toasted Brioche Roll with Grilled Onions, Sriracha Mayo and Au Jus for Dipping,” one of the “Glamburgers” on Cheesecake Factory’s famously sprawling menu. The burger, which comes with French fries or a green salad, currently costs $22.95 at the restaurant’s downtown Washington location.

“I recommend the Cheeseburger Spring Rolls,” Bessent added in a follow-up post on X directed at Obama.

Bessent’s biting comment followed those of other Trump allies who claim Obama sneered at working-class Americans when he tore into Trump over his extensive White House construction and decoration projects.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he seems very focused on home renovations. He should be on HGTV!” Obama said of Trump during a speech at an Ohio rally for gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and Senate candidate Sherrod Brown on Saturday.

“There’s gold everywhere. What’s up with the gold?” Obama went on. “He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.”

The crowd erupted in cheers and laughter at the remarks from Obama, who has previously poked fun at Trump’s gold-heavy remodel of the White House.

Since retaking office, Trump has devoted significant amounts of time to discussing his renovations, including in the Oval Office, which now…