Former President Joe Biden sharply criticized President Donald Trump on Saturday night, using a speech at the Maryland Democratic Party’s gala to mock Trump’s renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and label the president a “loser.”
Biden’s remarks, delivered at the “Fight Back & Win” event in Hanover, Maryland, highlighted ongoing tensions between the two leaders and turned a public works project into the latest flashpoint in their political rivalry.
Biden tied the pool project to what he described as a pattern of self-promotion.
“It’s not just his vanity projects … putting his name on the Kennedy Center. Building an arch in his own honor. Even hiring his own pool guy to fix the Reflecting Pool. Whoa, what a loser,” he said.
He added that the pool “reflects something even worse than the narcissism and incompetence at the core of this administration. It’s the corruption. The brazen, blatant corruption. Corruption on a scale never seen before in American history in any administration.”
The comments drew cheers from the Democratic audience and marked one of Biden’s strongest public attacks on Trump since leaving office. The speech came exactly two years after Biden’s widely criticized debate performance in 2024.
Speech Targets Multiple Trump Projects
Biden listed several Trump administration initiatives in Washington as evidence of misplaced priorities.
He referenced plans for a large ballroom at the White House, renaming efforts at the Kennedy Center, and a proposed triumphal arch. The Reflecting Pool drew particular scorn as a symbol of excess.
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The former president urged Democrats to organize and oppose the current administration, framing the November 2026 midterm elections as a critical opportunity.
He spoke for about 10 minutes at the fundraiser held at Maryland Live! casino, mixing policy criticism with personal jabs.
Reflecting Pool Renovation Draws Scrutiny
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, a landmark completed in 1923, underwent resurfacing earlier this year under Trump. The project included painting the pool bottom “American flag blue” and addressing long-standing leak and maintenance issues.
The administration awarded contracts without competitive bidding, citing urgency for the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
Costs escalated beyond initial projections. Federal records show spending around $14-16 million, including follow-up work. After refilling, the pool experienced an algae bloom that turned the water green.
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Cleanup required additional treatment, and reports emerged of damage to the new lining, leading to fencing, security measures, and at least one arrest near the site. Trump has defended the work as a success that fixed problems ignored by previous administrations.
The National Park Service has managed periodic maintenance of the pool for decades. A major renovation occurred between 2010 and 2012 during the Obama administration at a cost of roughly $34 million.
Reactions
Democrats at the gala responded positively to Biden’s address, with attendees citing renewed energy for upcoming races. Some party members have privately noted Biden’s continued influence despite his age and past electoral setbacks.
Republicans have dismissed the speech as recycled rhetoric from a defeated opponent. The Reflecting Pool remains open to the public after recent cleanup, though it continues to generate news coverage over its appearance and maintenance.
