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Bessent Defends “Obamalisk” Costs After Cheesecake Factory Visit

By Drooid · Oct 27, 2026, 3:17 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ate at the downtown Washington Cheesecake Factory to rebut Barack Obama’s joke.
He ordered the French dip cheeseburger costing $22.95.
Bessent praised the meal as great.
He urged the “Martha’s Vineyard set” to try the restaurant.
Bessent likened the Obama Presidential Center’s granite tower, dubbed “Obamalisk,” to Darth Vader’s tomb, noting costs now exceed $1 billion.

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Story summary

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ate at the downtown Washington Cheesecake Factory to rebut Barack Obama’s joke.
He ordered the French dip cheeseburger costing $22.95.
Bessent praised the meal as great.
He urged the “Martha’s Vineyard set” to try the restaurant.
Bessent likened the Obama Presidential Center’s granite tower, dubbed “Obamalisk,” to Darth Vader’s tomb, noting costs now exceed $1 billion.