Trump defends White House renovations after Obama’s joke

Donald Trump defended his White House renovations and attacked Barack Obama after the former president mocked the decor during a Saturday rally in Ohio, comparing the building to a Cheesecake Factory opened by Saddam Hussein. Trump responded Monday while speaking to reporters before traveling to a rally in Mississippi, and again at the event. He said he had cared for the White House, repaired it with skilled artisans and addressed what he described as a building in poor condition. He called Obama a lousy president and said he was not smart, linking the criticism to how Obama had run the country. Obama’s joke referred to gold accents, a planned ballroom, paving in the Rose Garden and a helicopter pad on the South Lawn. He also said Trump should be on HGTV. The remarks came during a campaign appearance for Democrats in Ohio. Trump said Obama had failed to notice dirt, damage and maintenance problems during his presidency. Those claims about the residence’s earlier condition were Trump’s assertions; the reports did not provide independent inspections or records establishing them. Trump framed his own work as necessary upkeep and said the White House, as a symbol of the United...