An analysis by The Bulwark counted at least 124 Democratic wins in 171 U.S. House districts containing a Cheesecake Factory location as of Nov. 5, amid a campaign dispute over the chain.
The Bulwark’s tally covered 215 U.S. restaurant locations. On 2024 congressional maps, they fell within 175 districts, where Democrats controlled 108 seats. Mapped to the 2026 boundaries, the same sites were within 171 districts. The analysis described Democrats as winning more than 70% of the districts containing a location.
Former President Barack Obama sparked the dispute at an Ohio midterms rally, comparing President Donald Trump’s White House makeover to the restaurant’s decor. Obama joked that it looked as if “Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.” The Independent reported that Republicans called the remark elitist and used it to portray Democrats as disconnected from ordinary Americans. Trump criticized Obama at his own rallies, including one in Mississippi where he called him a “lousy president” over the comparison.
Obama continued the joke at campaign appearances. At a Georgia event, he said Trump had not been bothered by the Saddam Hussein comparison as much as by the Cheesecake Factory reference. Obama also said the White House had contacted Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and asked him to hold a news conference outside one of the chain’s restaurants. He linked Bessent’s economic role to making life more affordable, lowering inflation and reducing interest rates. EconoTimes previously covered the dispute over Obama’s Cheesecake Factory joke.
The Independent reported that Trump also joked at a Texas rally that his proposed $5,000 “Trump dividend” might buy little more than a hamburger and dessert at Mar-a-Lago. The outlet said social media users contrasted the remark with Republican criticism of Obama as elitist. The Independent, citing Fox News, also reported that White House staff ordered food from the chain on election night as results came in.
