MAGA fumed over Barack Obama’s viral Cheesecake Factory dig, seizing on the remark to paint Democrats as snobbish and out of touch with hard working Americans.
asserted
MAGA → fume → Americans
But President Donald Trump hasn’t exactly helped his allies make their case as he joked that his own supporters could barely afford a meal at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
uncertain
supporters → help → resort
“That's not a good place if you're price conscious,” the billionaire president quipped Tuesday at a Texas rally.
asserted
president → quip → rally
That came after Obama used the popular chain as he criticized Trump’s ballroom makeover.
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he → come → makeover
That led furious MAGA outrage over the comment that they branded ‘elitist’ and out of touch with everyday Americans who consider Cheesecake Factory an upscale meal.
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Factory → lead → Americans
Online commenters were quick to note the contradiction.
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commenters → note → contradiction
“Making fun of the decor at Cheesecake Factory was elitist,” progressive commentator Jordan Uhl wrote on X. “Bragging that the crowd wouldn't be able to afford the food at his private club is, what exactly?”
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crowd → make → club
Dan Cluchey, a former Biden speechwriter, added: “I presume this puts an end to the Great Cheesecake Factory Moral Panic of 2026?”
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this → add → 2026
The Cheesecake Factory, a casual dining chain known for its sprawling menu, was thrust into the political spotlight last week.
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Factory → know → spotlight
While mocking Trump’s White House renovations during an Ohio rally, Obama said: “He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.”
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Hussein → mock → Factory
The remark was met with outrage by a number of Republicans and MAGA allies, some of whom rushed to dine at the restaurant, where a meal and drink can cost under $30.
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meal → meet → 30
On October 26, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ate lunch at the Cheesecake Factory in downtown Washington, D.C., telling reporters afterward that he ordered the French dip cheeseburger.
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he → eat → cheeseburger
“I had a great meal, always have a great meal,” Bessent said.
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Bessent → have → meal
“I would tell the Martha’s Vineyard set to give it a try.”
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I → tell → try
Rep. Randy Fine, a Florida Republican, posted a photo of himself at the restaurant the same day.
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Fine → post → restaurant
“Obama disparaging the Cheesecake Factory, a nice dinner for hardworking Americans, should surprise no one,” Rep. Lance Gooden, a Texas Republican, wrote on X earlier in the week.
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Gooden → disparage → week
Echoing that view, CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings wrote that Obama “hasn’t eaten dinner that costs less than $250 in years” and is “undefeated at condescending to regular folks.”
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that → echo → folks
The president himself lashed out at Obama over his Cheesecake Factory remark during a Monday rally in Mississippi, telling the crowd: “He doesn't like successful companies.”
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He → lash → companies
Then, the following day, he reprised a line that undercut his allies’ line of attack.
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that → reprise → attack
During a midterm rally in Texas, Trump discussed places Americans could spend their $5,000 “Trump dividend” — which he promised to send out if Republicans maintain control of Congress.
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Republicans → discuss → Congress
“You could even come to Mar-a-Lago, I said it the other night,” he said.
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he → come → it
“The problem is that for $5,000, the most you'll be able to buy is a hamburger and maybe a small dessert,” the president continued.
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president → buy → 5,000
“I'm not even sure you could buy that.
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you → buy → that
No, don’t go there, that's not a good place if you’re price conscious.”
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you → go → ?
Social media users pounced on the line.
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users → pounce → line
“Incredible to do this after days of conservatives saying that Obama’s Cheesecake Factory joke shows that he’s an elitist who hates Middle America,” Helen Lewis, a staff writer at The Atlantic, wrote on X.
“I love that the White House political people tried to mobilize their flying monkeys to say Obama was a snob for his attacks on Trump’s ballroom, and Trump himself went with ‘Cheesecake Factory is a very rich company and none of you plebes can afford a hamburger at my club,’” Jesse Lee, a former Biden White House staffer, chimed in.
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Lee → do → club
Mar-a-Lago, a sprawling Palm Beach resort, reportedly has a membership fee of $1 million.
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Lago → have → million
Ahead of the midterms, the president has struggled to convince Americans that he is successfully managing pocketbook concerns.
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he → struggle → concerns
According to an AP-NORC poll released this month, just 17 percent of Americans approve of the president’s handling of the cost of living, while just 26 percent approve of his handling of the economy.
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percent → accord → economy
In a YouGov poll released last month, a plurality of respondents, 47 percent, described Trump as out of touch.
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plurality → release → touch
The Aporia
