Trump cheesed off by Obama's Oval Office decor jibe

Donald Trump is showing signs of fatigue and cognitive decline after a history-making loss in the recent midterms but still has enough energy to react to Obama's roast about the Oval Office decor, writes Dr Norm Sanders.

U.S. POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS are always bizarre in the final stages, but the present midterms have outdone them all.

At a campaign rally in Cleveland, Ohio, Barack Obama said President Donald Trump's White House renovations had the place:

"...looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory."

A point of information here: Since I left the U.S., a large chain of restaurants has sprung up under the name of The Cheesecake Factory. There are 380 restaurants worldwide, mostly in America. It is famous for its massive, book-length menu featuring over 250 scratch-made items – ranging from burgers, pastas, and steaks to seafood and signature appetisers like avocado egg rolls – along with more than 30 varieties of cheesecake.

The restaurant’s décor is glitzy, golden, and overdone — perhaps the inspiration for Trump’s remodelling of the White House.

But Barack Obama wanted to set the record straight: he loves The Cheesecake Factory as much as the next dad:

"I am the father of two daughters. Do you think I could have survived their childhood without going to The Cheesecake Factory?” 

The Cheesecake Factory affair sparked furious backlash from Republicans and the White House. They claimed Obama was an elitist out of touch with average Americans.

Obama countered by saying he's spent plenty of time at the restaurant chain: 

"Cheesecake Factory?" Obama asked the crowd at a rally. "I lived at Chuck E. Cheese and California Pizza Kitchen and The Cheesecake Factory. That was my jam for about a decade." (Translation: That was my favourite place.) 

Obama was very active in the campaign. His rallies were witty, fun and politically powerful. This is in marked contrast to the pitiful, nasty ramblings of the desperate President. 

Following Obama's initial comment, Trump called him a "lousy president" for comparing the White House to the restaurant. 

In a move apparently designed to please Trump, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he ate at a Cheesecake Factory on Monday and opaquely said he "would tell the Martha's Vineyard set to give it a try." (Martha's Vineyard is a wealthy seaside area.) The MAGA minds all seem to be wandering a bit.

The fact that the President of the United States, in the middle of a war he started in the Middle East and a midterm election campaign, can be obsessed with a cheesecake restaurant has added fuel to the debate about his mental state.

Observers, political opponents, and medical commentators have increasingly argued that his behaviour shows signs of cognitive fatigue. 

Public debate over Donald Trump's mental fitness and campaign-related strain intensified during his continuous mid-term rally circuit.

Critics, media analysts, and some independent medical experts pointed to several recurring elements in his public appearances as evidence of mounting strain. High-profile instances, such as trailing off mid-sentence or stumbling over names at rallies, have been widely circulated. 

Observers noted increasingly meandering, tangential, and rambling monologues, which critics characterised as "word salad" messes or coherent thoughts that go uncompleted.

High-profile confrontations, such as growling at a reporter in the Oval Office and intensive late-night posting sprees on Truth Social, were cited by critics as indicators of declining emotional control and daytime fatigue.

Commentators drew attention to visible signs such as apparent daytime drowsiness, hand bruising, and an unsteady gait, attributing them to the physical toll of a relentless travel schedule.

Probably adding to Trump’s declining mental state were poll figures: 61 per cent of Americans disapproved of the job he is doing. 

It is not surprising that Reuters analysis found that 41 of 62 GOP candidates in competitive House and Senate races tried to boost their election chances by distancing themselves from the deeply unpopular president, amounting to around two-thirds. 

This included Republicans voting or speaking out against Trump’s policies, such as the war in Iran or his obsession with data centres. Many deleted all mention of the president from their campaign websites.

Others took less drastic steps to avoid being too closely linked to Trump, including declining to confirm whether they want him to campaign on their behalf or choosing not to appear at events where Trump would be. 

Multiple MAGA Republicans attempted to distance themselves from Trump by speaking out against his war with Iran or hard-line immigration policies in an effort to improve their midterm election hopes. 

Republican strategist Ron Bonjean said that while candidates often distance themselves from the president in a midterm year, the scale of the pushback against Trump from within his own party was particularly damning.

“Candidates are reflecting voter attitudes in these races,” Bonjean told Reuters. “If [voters] are not with Trump, then they need to show a ‌break.”

At least a dozen Republican candidates took the drastic step of removing Trump’s name, image or endorsements from their campaign websites so as not to put off potential voters. This included Mike Beltran, a Republican running against Democratic Florida Rep. Kathy Castor. Beltran featured a photo of himself alongside Trump on his website in August, then removed it as the midterms drew closer. It didn’t help. Castor won and went to Washington.

Others attempted a delicate balancing act in order not to feel the wrath of the president, such as Nebraska Sen. Pete Ricketts, who was in a close race with independent challenger Dan Osborn in the Republican state. 

Ricketts is one of 11 Republican candidates whom Reuters identified as having criticised Trump on one issue – the plan to expand beef imports – while still supporting him elsewhere.

Ricketts also joined Trump for a midterm campaign rally in Nebraska recently, a desperate two-bob-each-way move. His electoral gymnastics worked. He got re-elected.

In a statement to Reuters, White House spokesman Davis Ingle said Trump remains “the unequivocal leader, best messenger and unmatched motivator” for the party. The Republican National Committee said the party remained committed to Trump.

RNC National Press Secretary Natalie Baldassarre said in a statement:

'Unlike the Democrats who are in a full-blown civil war with extremists, Republicans remain united behind the President’s agenda of cutting taxes, lowering drug costs, and securing our communities. We are laser-focused on winning, and our candidates will run the races necessary to best represent their districts and prevent Democrats from taking control.' 

That statement was the best the poor woman could come up with. Her president is obsessing over jokes about his gold-plated White House decorating efforts while the world is grappling with the effects of his ego and dementia. 

In the U.S., petrol and diesel prices are skyrocketing due to Trump’s war, and voters have made the connection between Trump's tariffs and the escalating costs of everything they buy. 

Another big concern among voters was the brazen corruption of DJT and his family. 

Now that the Democrats have crushed the Republicans in Congress, there is already change in the air. 

The new Congress won’t sit until January, but the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, is presently facing an impeachment vote in the House of Representatives. 

Two things stand out: One is the speed the motion came about after the elections and the other is the person who was behind it. Republican (Yes, REPUBLICAN!) Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky. He is obviously not afraid of the big, bad Donald anymore.

The articles of impeachment allege Mr Hegseth has committed 'high crimes and misdemeanours' and 'has demonstrated he will remain a threat to civilians' as well as the U.S. military and the country's Constitution if he remains in office. 

Massie’s spearheading of the impeachment attempt has enraged Trump, who has repeatedly voiced support for Mr Hegseth. 

The question is whether or not Trump’s ego and crumbling mind can take the electoral losses and Republicans breaking ranks. We will find out soon enough.

In the meantime, we can celebrate that the Americans are getting their country back, Cheesecake and all.

Dr Norm Sanders is a former commercial pilot, flight instructor, university professor, Tasmanian State MP and Federal Senator.

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