White House staff members ordered dinner from The Cheesecake Factory on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, as election results for the U.S. midterm contests arrived. The choice of restaurant followed recent public comments by former President Barack Obama regarding the interior decor of the White House.
The food order occurred during an election viewing reception in the East Room of the White House, according to Fox News Senior White House Correspondent Pete Doocy. The event took place as Democrats sought to gain four seats in the Senate and three seats in the House of Representatives to secure congressional majorities. Early results included Jon Ossoff retaining his Senate seat in Georgia and Roy Cooper winning a Senate seat in North Carolina.
The restaurant choice follows a campaign appearance last month where former President Obama criticized White House renovations, stating that President Donald Trump "got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory." While some supporters of the president characterized the remark as elitist, Mr. Obama later stated he has no personal issue with the chain, calling it his "jam for about a decade" while raising his daughters.
President Trump spent the evening posting on the social media platform Truth Social, where he criticized Fox News. The president contested the network's polling data, which indicated that 56% of voters did not view him as a strong leader. He also claimed that the network's television ratings had declined by 27%.
The outcome of these elections determines the balance of power in the U.S. House and Senate. In this cycle, Democrats aimed to flip at least four Senate seats and three House seats to gain control. A White House official told CNN that President Trump’s absence from the ballot may have influenced turnout, stating that "Trump voters show up when he is on the ballot."
For the private sector, the focus on The Cheesecake Factory highlights how political discourse can impact brand visibility. Disrupt PR CEO Marin Richardson noted that the public disagreement between the current and former presidents serves as a form of unpaid promotion for the restaurant chain. As of Thursday, November 5, 2026, several key races remained uncalled. Further results and formal certifications are expected in the coming days as local officials finalize vote counts.