Former President Joe Biden has largely stayed out of the public eye since leaving the White House, but over the weekend he took direct aim at President Donald Trump, calling him a “loser” during a speech at a Democratic Party gala.
The relationship between Biden and Trump has long been marked by sharp criticism. Trump has frequently referred to Biden as “Sleepy Joe” and “Crooked Joe,” and after returning to office, even replaced Biden’s White House portrait with an image of the controversial autopen.
Although Biden has kept a relatively low profile since leaving office in 2025, he used Saturday’s event to criticize Trump’s leadership and his efforts to reshape landmarks in Washington, D.C.
During his remarks, Biden accused Trump of corruption “on a scale never seen before in American history” before joking about the renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
“He even hired his own pool guy to fix the Reflecting Pool,” Biden said, adding, “What a loser,” according to Forbes.
The Reflecting Pool renovation reportedly cost more than $14 million and included draining the landmark, resurfacing it, and painting the bottom in what officials described as “American flag blue.”
However, the project soon ran into problems. Within weeks, the paint reportedly began peeling, while algae caused the water to turn green.
Trump blamed the damage on vandalism, claiming someone poured chemicals into the water, though he has not provided evidence to support those allegations.
He also warned that anyone caught vandalizing the Reflecting Pool or other national monuments could face up to 10 years in prison, saying the penalties would be “fully enforced.”
Last week, Trump further claimed that someone had cut a “350-foot slit” in the pool’s lining using what he described as a box cutter or similar knife. Earlier, he had estimated the damage at 250 feet, while continuing to call for lengthy prison sentences for those responsible.
Biden, 83, who was diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer last year, did not address his health during the approximately 10-minute speech.
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