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Trump’s Secret Stake in Cheesecake Factory Revealed

Financial disclosures reviewed by the Daily Beast show Trump made numerous trades in the restaurant franchise as his White House renovations went into overdrive.

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Donald Trump spent last year buying and selling stock in the restaurant now at the center of a political spat with Barack Obama over the president’s lavish vanity projects.

Days after the former Democratic president mocked Trump for making the White House look “like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory,” financial disclosures reviewed by the Daily Beast show he bought between $35,007 and $175,000 worth of stock in the franchise last year as his renovations went into overdrive.

The popular eatery was thrust into the limelight over the weekend, when Obama held his first rally of the 2026 midterm season in Ohio—the battleground state where MAGA candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has come under fire over a vile attack ad targeting his gubernatorial rival Amy Acton.

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Speaking to a packed crowd in Cleveland, the former president unleashed a blistering attack on Trump and the “not serious” people running the country, accusing him of breaking his promises while using the Oval Office to enrich himself and his family.

However, Obama’s comments about the prominent American restaurant chain sent MAGA into a meltdown.

Returning fire during a midterm blitz of Mississippi on Monday, Trump declared the Cheesecake Factory was “a very successful business,” in yet another example of the billionaire talking up a company he has had shares in.

He also accused Obama of being a “stupid person” and “lousy president” and defended his obsession with his vanity projects, telling a rally: “The White House represents our country, and that has to be pristine.

“And I would try and explain that to a guy like Obama, but he wouldn’t understand.”

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Trump’s trades began early in his first year back in office. The 80-year-old bought shares on January 30, February 3 and 4, and February 13 last year, with each purchase valued between $1,001 and $15,000.

He then bought shares worth between $15,001 and $50,000 on March 5 and April 8, followed by another round of shares ranging between $1,001 and $15,000 on April 10.

The president also sold between $15,001 and $50,000 worth of shares on May 29, then unloaded another tranche in the same range on November 24.

According to a financial disclosure filed in June, he still held between $15,001 and $50,000 in stock December 31, 2025, (the end of the reporting period) and received a small dividend of up to $2,000.

The Cheesecake Factory is an American casual dining chain famous for its enormous menu, generous portions, and over-the-top decor which combines ancient Egyptian palm-tree columns, large light fixtures, and rich accents of gold, blue, pink, and green.

Dishes include everything from Tex-Mex eggrolls, chicken Alfredo, and Reese’s Peanut Butter chocolate cake cheesecake.

In response to Obama’s comments, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent publicly dined at the restaurant’s Washington branch as he hit back at Obama.

CNN commentator Scott Jennings accused the former president of being condescending to ordinary Americans, while MAGA influencer Laura Loomer defended the restaurant as somewhere Americans could afford to eat.

But it is not exactly fast-food cheap: for instance, a double smash cheeseburger will set you back about $21, fettuccine Alfredo costs about $26, and the Original Cheesecake is $11.50.

The Cheesecake Factory is also not the only company where Trump’s personal financial interests intersect with his political life.

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His portfolio has included stakes in companies such as Intel, Nvidia, and Tesla, all of which he has touted after buying shares.

“Trump has no answers for families staring down higher grocery bills and gas prices, but he always has time to promote a company that pads his portfolio,” said Brandon Weathersby, communications director for the progressive group American Bridge 21st Century.

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“He may be thin-skinned when it comes to jokes at his expense, but he’s truly motivated by threats to an investment that is making him money.

“It’s a stark reminder that while working families are skipping dinners out to make ends meet, Trump is getting richer off the restaurants they can’t afford,” he added.

White House spokesman Davis Ingle told the Daily Beast the president’s stock and bond portfolio was independently managed by third-party financial institutions.

“Neither President Trump nor any member of his family has any ability to direct, influence, or provide input regarding how the portfolio is invested or when investments are bought or sold,” he said.

“All investment decisions are made entirely by independent managers. There are no conflicts of interest.”

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The years-long tensions between Obama and Trump reignited over the weekend, when the Democratic president held his first rallies of the season—first in Ohio for Acton and Senate candidate Sherrod Brown, then in Michigan for Senate candidate Abdul El Sayed.

Obama will head to Georgia today to campaign for Democratic star Jon Ossoff, who is on track to retain his Senate seat, and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is vying to be the next governor.

Trump, meanwhile, will rally in Ohio for embattled candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Senate candidate Jon Husted, whose butt Trump can’t stop commenting about lately.

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Farrah TomazinPolitical Correspondent

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