{
  "id": 16415431,
  "title": "‘Like Saddam opened a Cheesecake Factory’: Obama hits out at Trump in campaign trail comeback",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/like-saddam-opened-a-cheesecake-factory-obama-hits-out-at-trump-in",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-25T02:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Sydney Morning Herald",
    "slug": "the-sydney-morning-herald",
    "url": "https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/like-saddam-opened-a-cheesecake-factory-obama-hits-out-at-trump-in-campaign-trail-comeback-20261025-p618di.html?ref=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Former President Barack Obama held a rally in Cleveland, Ohio, on Saturday, marking his first campaign appearance ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. During the event, Obama accused the Trump administration of being defined by an incompetence unseen in modern times and characterized the previous two years as a period of chaos and cruelty. He encouraged voters to cast early ballots to help rein in the administration's actions.\n\nObama specifically ridiculed President Trump's White House renovations, stating that the president has \"got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.\" According to Live Mint, Obama questioned the use of gold throughout the mansion and noted aesthetic additions such as a ballroom larger than the White House, the paving over of the Rose Garden, and a helicopter pad on the South Lawn.\n\nIn addition to criticizing the renovations, Obama addressed high consumer prices and the Iran war. During the rally, he expressed support for Amy Acton in the Ohio gubernatorial race against Vivek Ramaswamy, and for former Senator Sherrod Brown, who is challenging Republican incumbent Jon Husted for a Senate seat.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "People Daily Kenya",
        "title": "Obama set to campaign with Democrats in Ohio and Michigan as he ramps up midterm efforts",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/obama-set-to-campaign-with-democrats-in-ohio-and-michigan-as-he-ramps",
        "published": "2026-10-24T18:09:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian US",
        "title": "Barack Obama to rally for Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan before key US Senate race – US politics live",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/barack-obama-to-rally-for-abdul-el-sayed-in-michigan-before-key-us",
        "published": "2026-10-24T20:28:45.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Hill",
        "title": "Obama scathes Trump administration in quippy Ohio campaign rally speech",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/obama-scathes-trump-administration-in-quippy-ohio-campaign-rally",
        "published": "2026-10-24T21:13:31.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC News",
        "title": "Obama attacks Trump as he campaigns for Democrats ahead of midterm elections",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/obama-attacks-trump-as-he-campaigns-for-democrats-ahead-of-midterm",
        "published": "2026-10-24T21:58:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CBS News",
        "title": "In Ohio rally, Obama blasts Ramaswamy, GOP over controversial Acton ad",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/in-ohio-rally-obama-blasts-ramaswamy-gop-over-controversial-acton-ad",
        "published": "2026-10-25T00:34:04.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Age",
        "title": "‘Like Saddam opened a Cheesecake Factory’: Obama hits out at Trump in campaign trail comeback",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/like-saddam-opened-a-cheesecake-factory-obama-hits-out-at-trump-in-16415853",
        "published": "2026-10-25T02:30:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "Obama attacks Trump as he campaigns for Democrats ahead of midterm elections",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/obama-attacks-trump-as-he-campaigns-for-democrats-ahead-of-midterm",
        "published": "2026-10-25T03:19:10.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}