Joe Biden Calls President Donald Trump a ‘Loser’ for ‘Vanity’ Projects Amid Reflecting Pool Failure
Former President Joe Biden criticized his successor, Donald Trump, on the back of failed attempts to restore the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
“What a loser,” Biden, 83, told the crowd at the Maryland Democratic Party’s inaugural Back & Win Summit and Gala on Saturday, June 27. “It’s not just his vanity projects. Tearing down the East Wing of the White House. Making room for his ballroom. 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.”
Biden’s audience erupted in applause over his summation, per social media footage shared by CBS News.
He continued, “Look, folks, it’s not just that. The Reflecting Pool reflects something even worse than the narcissism and incompetence at the core of this administration. It’s the corruption.”
Trump, 80, recently addressed the deterioration of the Reflecting Pool that occurred after he ordered a $15 million renovation of the famed body of water between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.
“We’ve cleaned, renovated, and beautified over 45 Monuments and Memorials, 28 Statues, and 22 Fountains in Washington, D.C.,” he wrote via his social media platform, Truth Social, on June 19. “However, we’ve had some real problems with vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool. Just like three days ago, they destroyed the grass outside of the Pool, they’ve also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed.”
The renovation had originally been ordered to improve the pool’s appearance, turning it “American flag blue” in time for the country’s 250th birthday celebration. According to The New York Times, the pool appeared to have been “rejecting” the renovation, with the newspaper reporting that the bottom of the pool was peeling amid “chunks of coating.”
The Times also noted that the peeling was a result of renovation attempts tackling an algae issue that turned what should be clear water into an acid-green shade.
In addition to referencing the pool, Biden’s speech referenced a Kennedy Center official revealing earlier this month that all references to Trump have been removed from the venue, per NBC News.
Trump’s name had been removed “inside, outside and online” in compliance with a court order that was issued “six months after a board handpicked by the president voted to rebrand the iconic performing arts venue by adding his name to it,” according to the outlet.