Obama accuses Trump of selling favors as he rallies Democrats ahead of the midterms
Priorities
Wednesday, at a rally in Georgia promoting Democratic candidates, including Senator Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial hopeful Keisha Lance Bottoms, ahead of the November elections, former United States President Barack Obama accused President Trump of being “intent on selling favors.” “The guy has made billions of dollars while in office. Understand that this has not been done in modern times,” Obama said.
During the same event, Obama also referenced Trump’s comments on Obama’s Cheesecake Factory remarks he made last Saturday, noting that Trump focused on what he said about the restaurant chain rather than what he said before and after, including discussions of inflation. “They did not dispute what I said about them being directly responsible for rising prices,” Obama said.
He added, “They did not deny terrorists were contributing to higher costs for families…I accused this administration, based on the facts, of engaging in unprecedented levels of corruption. They didn’t say anything about that.” He continued, “The President wasn’t even mad about the Saddam Hussein comparison….but he was very upset about the Cheesecake Factory comments.”
Obama alleged that Trump got the government involved
“They mobilized a whole-of-government response to that joke. Not to inflation, but to that joke,” Obama said. He also alleged that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was told to hold a press conference outside a Cheesecake Factory. However, that isn’t exactly how things happened.
On Monday, CNBC reported that Bessent dined at a Cheesecake Factory outlet and then, speaking to a Fox Business reporter, accused Obama of elitism, referencing comments Obama made about Trump last week. Bessent also dissed Obama’s artistic endeavors during his time as president, focusing on renovations and construction projects. He said, “This is the man who built the museum [that] looks like Darth Vader’s tomb,” seemingly referring to the Obama Presidential Center, a museum in Chicago, Illinois.
During Wednesday’s campaign rally, Obama responded to Bessent’s remarks, saying, “I am the father of two daughters. Do you think I could have survived their childhood without going to the Cheesecake Factory?”
A nonprofit legal organization identified the different ways Trump awarded his benefactors
According to Campaign Legal Center, a Washington, D.C.–based nonprofit legal organization founded by Trevor Potter in January 2002, Trump has granted favorable treatment to certain people and entities in exchange for payment, primarily in the form of favors for himself. The source identified multiple ways Trump rewarded his patrons.
The source found that Trump appointed several of his wealthiest benefactors, who contributed to PACs affiliated with Trump during the 2024 election or to the presidential inaugural fund, to key government positions. Additionally, Trump nominated several of his donors to key ambassadorships, regardless of whether they met the criteria for appointment, according to the source.
Campaign Legal Center noted that people who donated to Trump’s causes received preferential treatment, even if they had been convicted of serious crimes or were serving time. This included, but was not limited to, dropping cases and investigations, including those involving major corporate donors. According to the source, industries spent millions of dollars supporting Trump to win favors, as did foreign countries seeking a stronger position when negotiating with him.
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