Former President Barack Obama took another bite out of the Cheesecake Factory controversy at a rally in Georgia, and critics predicted President Donald Trump wouldn’t take it well.
“Trump is going to have a 5 alarm temper tantrum when he hears this,” wrote a political commentator who goes by Polly Sigh, in response to the speech.
Obama was speaking at a “United for Georgia” rally, where he addressed the backlash to his viral line from last week that Trump has the White House “looking like Saddam Hussein opened up a Cheesecake Factory.”
“The president wasn’t even mad about the Saddam Hussein comparison. That part didn’t bother him,” Obama said, in a clip shared by Acyn Torabi. “But he was very upset about the Cheesecake Factory. He took great umbrage. He said I didn’t understand the work of the artisans in the White House.”
Obama said the administration’s reaction was telling, because it pushed back harder on the joke than on his criticism of Trump’s handling of the economy.
“They mobilized a whole of government response to that joke,” Obama said. “Not to inflation, but to that joke.”
He also took aim at the president’s White House decorating.
“The President is spending time super gluing gold medallions to the mantle in the Oval Office,” Obama said. “He is literally doing arts and crafts while we are fighting a war.”
Last week, conservative commentators accused Obama of elitism over the Cheesecake Factory line. Steve Krakauer, executive producer of “The Megyn Kelly Show,” called it “elitist garbage,” and CNN commentator Scott Jennings said Obama “has never been in a Cheesecake Factory.” The pushback drew an online pile-on, with critics posting photos of the chain’s famously ornate dining rooms.
Obama’s latest swipe drew another round of cheers from his allies.
“Pitch perfect response from Obama to this manufactured Cheesecake Factory outrage,” wrote Tommy Vietor, a former Obama National Security Council spokesman and co-host of “Pod Save the World.” He also quoted Obama’s “whole of government response” line.
Jon Favreau, a former Obama speechwriter and co-host of “Pod Save America,” asked, “Would anyone else on the right like to keep this going for another few days or no?”
Aaron Fritschner, deputy chief of staff to Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), singled out the inflation line: “KILL SHOT.”
Niall Stanage, a White House columnist for The Hill, said Obama was playing Trump, and trapping him.
“Obama has rope-a-doped Trump here, drawing him into a fight that only advantages Dems,” Stanage wrote. “And Obama’s clearly enjoying it.”
Jessica Tarlov, a Democratic strategist and co-host of Fox News’ “The Five,” wrote, “Cue another Trump insecurity cycle.”
“Goodness gracious, the way he just disarmed and neutered them in so few words,” wrote author and activist Charlotte Clymer.
Independent journalist Aaron Parnas added, “Why anyone would go toe to toe with Obama is beyond me.”
The progressive MeidasTouch account was blunter: “Trump really stepped right in it. Obama with the KO.”