Trump jokes about Mar-a-Lago prices as MAGA backlash over Obama’s Cheesecake Factory comment fades
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President Donald Trump mocked the cost of meals at his Mar-a-Lago club during a Texas rally, while earlier criticism of Barack Obama’s Cheesecake Factory remark had sparked outrage among his supporters.
President Donald Trump said at a Texas rally that Mar-a-Lago is not a good option for price-conscious diners, joking that even a $5,000 "Trump dividend" would likely only buy a hamburger and a small dessert. The comment came after former President Barack Obama had used a Cheesecake Factory reference to criticize Trump’s White House ballroom renovation, prompting a wave of MAGA criticism that labeled the remark elitist.
Online commentators highlighted the apparent contradiction, noting that while Trump’s allies mocked Obama for disparaging a chain considered affordable by many, Trump himself suggested his own private club was beyond the reach of ordinary Americans.
"That's not a good place if you're price conscious," Trump said.
The debate revived earlier social-media reactions, including a remark from progressive commentator Jordan Uhl that the Cheesecake Factory mockery was elitist, and a quip from former Biden speechwriter Dan Cluchey about the “Great Cheesecake Factory Moral Panic of 2026.”
Republican lawmakers such as Rep. Randy Fine and Rep. Lance Gooden posted photos and comments defending the chain as a reasonable dining option for working Americans. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also praised a recent lunch at the restaurant.
The episode underscores the ongoing partisan contest over perceived elitism and economic concerns ahead of the midterm elections.