Trump says Obama “wouldn’t understand” White House renovations

Washington — President Trump said Monday that former President Barack Obama “wouldn’t understand” the renovations he’s undertaken at the White House after the former president said Mr. Trump “has got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.”

At a campaign stop in Mississippi, Mr. Trump addressed Obama’s comments, which have gone viral, saying “the White House represents our country, and has to be pristine.” 

“I would try and explain that to a guy like Obama, but he wouldn’t understand,” Mr. Trump continued. “He doesn’t understand the White House has to be clean, pristine, beautiful. It can’t have cracks in the column.”

At a rally in Michigan for Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Saturday, Obama listed some of Mr. Trump’s changes at the White House, including the construction of a massive ballroom, the new helipad on the South Lawn and more decorating changes.

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he seems very focused on home renovations,” Obama said. “He should be on HGTV. Guy’s building a ballroom that’s bigger than the White House. He’s paved over the Rose Garden. He’s put a helicopter pad on the South Lawn. And there’s gold everywhere — what’s up with the gold? Everything, more gold. He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.” 

Many Democrats applauded the comments while conservatives criticized them as out of touch.

Mr. Trump mentioned Obama’s remarks several times at Monday’s rally, saying the money being spent on renovations is “peanuts” and “the White House is now in better shape than it was in 1792.” 

“He said, this isn’t a Cheesecake Factory,” Mr. Trump said. “Can you believe it? Which is a very successful company. He doesn’t like successful companies. But, you know, he was very critical about me because I spent time. And if you would have seen the White House, I took over the White House and it was in horrible condition.”

Both Mr. Trump and Obama are campaigning in battleground states in the final days before Election Day, and Mr. Trump has also raised eyebrows with trips to some deep-red areas, such as Monday’s trip to Mississippi.