Recently, the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool by President Trump has turned into a major PR disaster, sparking widespread skepticism and criticism across American society. According to a June 28 report by The Hill, former President Biden made a rare public appearance on the 27th to condemn the renovation projects being pushed in Washington D.C., accusing Trump of being a “corrupt loser.”
On the 27th, Biden attended a dinner hosted by Democrats in Maryland, where he didn’t hold back in his critique of Trump. “This isn’t just about his ego projects; he’s tearing down the East Wing of the White House to make room for banquet halls,” Biden said. “He’s carving his name onto the Kennedy Center, trying to build himself a Triumphal Arch, and even hired his own pool maintenance guy to fix the Reflecting Pool… Wow, what a loser.”
Video screenshot from former President Biden’s speech in Maryland on June 27 local time.
Biden’s words were sharp and pointed. He argued that the issues surrounding the Reflecting Pool project reflect problems far worse than the current administration’s narcissism and incompetence—it’s corruption. Blatant, unapologetic corruption on a scale never seen before in American history, he claimed.
He added that since returning to the White House, Trump has raked in hundreds of millions of dollars. “It is absolutely shocking. He has no shame whatsoever. It’s embarrassing for America, but Trump doesn’t care. Making money off the presidency is one of the main reasons he wants to be president,” he stated.
The Hill noted that Biden has rarely appeared in public since leaving office in January 2025. The former president is currently battling prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones.
Since taking office, Trump has pushed through a series of renovation and construction projects. These include spending $600 million to build a banquet hall in the East Wing of the White House and plans to construct a 76-meter-tall Triumphal Arch in Washington.
Trump also attempted to rename the Kennedy Center to the “Trump-Kennedy Center.” However, last month, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the name could not be changed without legislation from Congress. He ordered a halt to the center’s closure and renovation plans and demanded that Trump’s name be removed.
Recently, the Trump administration spent over $14 million renovating the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. However, less than two weeks after the renovation was completed, large sections of the pool’s bottom coating began to peel off. Algae has also returned, causing the water to become murky again.
