White House staffers reportedly thought that Donald Trump, his loyal Cabinet officials and MAGA allies would have reason to celebrate Tuesday night, as they prepared what’s been described as a pretty elaborate party in the East Room to watch news about results of the midterm elections.

For this viewing party, staffers thought it would be especially fun to order in dinner and platters of finger food from Cheesecake Factory — meant to be a cheeky rebuke to Barack Obama’s insult about Trump’s aesthetic vision for redecorating the White House, as the Daily Mail and The Independent reported.

But it soon became apparent that there was nothing for Trump and his party guests to celebrate.

As the wave of Democratic House and Senate victories swept in, the president stayed upstairs in the private residence, according to the Daily Mail and the New York Times. He watched Fox News and lashed out on Truth Social at the bad news being reported on even his preferred news network.

And, instead of being happily surrounded by a ballroom full of cheering and applauding supporters, Trump stayed two floors upstairs in his residence. The Daily Mail said the president was “ensconced with his redoubtable Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.” Also keeping Trump company was Natalie Harp, the White House aide whose remarkably close relationship and “unusually direct access” to him has drawn scrutiny during his second term, the Daily Mail reported.

Trump’s wife, Melania, was not with him, the Daily Mail reported.

“It’s very, very dark in the residence,'” one senior official told the Daily Mail about Trump’s mood. ‘”It’s a dark scene.”

It wasn’t immediately known where the first lady was — if she was even in Washington, D.C. The Daily Mail made no mention of her being in the East Room, acting as party hostess or encouraging guests to eat some of the Cheesecake Factory snacks laid out on platters.

“As the magnitude of the night’s drubbing started to come into focus, Trump’s most loyal followers began to flee the East Room watch party,” the Daily Mail reported. First, senior staff left, then some Cabinet members. That includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was seen at the party earlier but at some point “could not be found anywhere,” the Daily Mail said.

By the time the House was called for the Democrats just before 10 p.m. Eastern, the East Room had largely emptied, the Daily Mail reported. Staff members were not just leaving the party, “they were leaving the building.” They headed out to some nearby Washington, D.C., bar to “drown their troubles,” the Daily Mail said.

As for all that Cheesecake Factory food, it “was left out on the tables, uneaten,” the Daily Mail said.

On Fox News, Senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy also reported that Cheesecake Factory food had been served at the party, according to The Independent. The choice of serving Cheesecake Factory snacks was no doubt inspired by the cultural contretemps that erupted last month when former President Obama cracked a joke while campaigning for Democratic candidates ahead of Tuesday’s elections.

Obama said the Trump’s White House redecorating looked “like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory. Just gold everywhere.”

The late Iraqi dictator was known for building lavish palaces, filled with gold walls and even a golden throne, NPR reported. Trump also has become well-known for filling his homes — from his Trump Tower penthouse to the White House — with gilded furnishings. Meanwhile, the more than 200 locations in the Cheesecake Factory chain are known for their kitschy decor, as well as for their generous plates of classic American food, as NPR also reported.

But on Tuesday night, no one in the East Room had much of an appetite, according to the Daily Mail. The outlet also described the “grim specter” of White House staffers realizing the extent of Americans’ anger at their boss and at them.

The New York Times said that the Democratic victories Tuesday night “amounted to a stinging rebuke of a deeply unpopular president” and a sign of voters’ frustration over a range of issues, notably high gas prices, an intractable war with Iran, Trump’s handling of the economy and allegations of flagrant profiteering by the president, his family and members of his inner circle.

And yet, Trump and White House staffers apparently didn’t see this Democratic “blue wave” coming and therefore planned their election night party accordingly, according to the Daily Mail.

The publication quoted White House sources and other anonymous officials who explained why Trump and his staff remained hopeful that Republicans were going to retain control of both the House and the Senate.

A source told the Daily Mail that Wiles had been promising Trump and his staff “a win right up to the end.” This source also described weekly Thursday briefings at which veteran GOP political consultant Chris LaCivita, a key Wiles ally, promised Trump that the win was his.

On Tuesday morning, West Wing staffers were still talking about picking up seats in both chambers, according to the Daily Mail. In a statement on X Wednesday morning, Vice President JD Vance said GOP data analysts disputed polls showing a Democrat blowout and said data showed “in no state was it catastrophic.” He also said: “There was a genuine sense of optimism on our team: our people were showing up.”

But the Daily Mail source said such optimism was “delusional.” The source said: “They were delusional right until the very end.”

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