Scott Bessent, Jonathan Lemire (MS NOW screenshots)
Multi-millionaire Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s praise of his Cheesecake Factory lunch on Monday caused eyes to roll on MS NOW on Tuesday morning.
The former hedge fund manager just happened to be caught by a Fox Business camera crew as he exited the casual dining chain restaurant on Monday at the same time that Donald Trump’s administration was pitching a fit over a joke made by former President Barack Obama.
During a rally over the weekend, Obama made a quip about the gaudy remodel of the White House, telling a laughing crowd that Donald Trump was making it look like “Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.”
Bessent was asked about the joke outside the restaurant where he first claimed, “I have what I always have; the French dip cheeseburger.”
Pressed on Obama’s remarks, he replied, “Well, two things. This is the man who built the museum who (sic) looks like Darth Vader's tomb. And I would just tell them I had a great meal, always have a great meal. And I would tell the Martha's Vineyard set to give it a try.”
After sharing the clip on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe,“ co-host Jonathan Lemire remarked, “The ‘Martha's Vineyard set’ from Scott Bessent, an unusual choice to be the Trump Cabinet member to make the pilgrimage to the Cheesecake Factory near the White House.”
He pointed out, “Bessent’s estimated net worth is between $500 and $600 million. He's got a couple of very expensive homes, including in Charleston.”
Turning to MS NOW contributor Mike Barnicle, he proposed, “Mike, I'm sure the French dip cheeseburger is really good, but this is not exactly reinforcing the idea that the Trump team is in touch with the common man.”
“Once again, and you'd have to ask the Treasury secretary, when was the last time that he had a grocery cart going down the middle of an aisle at Stop & Shop? Or when was the last time that he pulled into an Exxon station or a Mobil station and filled up that gas tank and looked at those numbers, reeling by and putting in the full tank of gas for 80 to 90 to $100.”
“They don't lead ordinary lives. And worse, they do not know how ordinary Americans live,” he added.
“And clearly Obama's dig really got under Trump's skin,” Lemire chimed in.
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