Obama Compares Trump to Saddam Hussein in Controversial Campaign Rally Joke

A president for whom everything turned to rust erupted in a fit on Saturday at one who turns everything into gold.

Democrats desperate to score victories in Ohio trotted out former President Barack Obama, whose relevance is apparently undimmed in their view despite the fact that he was last ruling in the White House when Americans reaching voting age were in elementary school.

During his comments, Obama said that President Donald Trump had committed some vague and unspecified breach of propriety by improving the White House grounds.

“I mean, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he seems very focused on home renovations,” he said during a rally on Saturday, according to a video posted to X. “He should be on HGTV.”

“He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory. It’s gold everywhere,” Obama said.

🔥🚨DEVELOPING: Former President Obama just went on stage to start taking shots at President Trump and criticized him for upgrading the White House.

Obama: “He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory. It’s gold everywhere.” https://t.co/Y933BpeuZQ

— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) October 24, 2026

A poster using the name Taggs noted in response: “Obama might be the only one who hates America (and everything it stands for) more than Ilhan Omar.”

Obama’s own building projects have been in the news lately.

The cost for the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, Illinois, is now forecast to exceed $1 billion, which is nearly three times the initial estimated cost for the project, according to Fox News.

The project also opened five years past schedule.

“While we continue to reconcile costs and plan ahead for additional capital improvements, we anticipate our total cost for constructing the campus is approximately $1 billion — again, all raised in private contributions,” Emily Bittner, the Obama Foundation’s vice president of communications, said.

@CBSNews Well what was this, sir? https://t.co/C0jb7DP0sK

— Emily C. (@EmilyinChas) October 24, 2026

Those behind the project have decided to save money through what it pays workers, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Workers seeking to form a union said in a letter the Obama Foundation and Obama Presidential Center have a “high turnover rate” as workers “continue to leave, taking with them their institutional knowledge and expertise.”

“Amidst increasing workloads we have seen our benefits rolled back and support from leadership to be minimal,” the workers wrote in an open letter to colleagues seeking support for unionizing.

“When we voice concerns we are met with vague responses, leading to uncertainty about our future with the foundation. Due to this unsustainable work environment, many of our skilled, passionate colleagues continue to leave, taking with them their institutional knowledge and expertise. The high turnover rate has contributed further to our overwhelming workloads and as a consequence, we struggle to perform our duties at the high standard to which we expect,” the letter said.

Fox News noted the structure has been mocked as the “Obamalisk.”

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