Biden slams – At Saturday’s Live! Casino & Hotel gala, Joe Biden tore into Donald Trump’s Washington, D.C. building plans—calling them “vanity projects,” citing the East Wing demolition for a White House ballroom and the ongoing Reflecting Pool mess—before landing on the li
Joe Biden didn’t wait to warm up the room.
At Saturday’s Live!. Casino & Hotel gala, he walked attendees through a list of Donald Trump’s Washington, D.C. “vanity projects. ” from the East Wing demolition of the White House to the ballroom plan. to what Biden described as the lingering. million-dollar Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool saga. By the end of the run-through, Biden’s verdict came sharp and simple: “What a loser.”.
Biden said it wasn’t just the projects themselves, but the choices behind them. “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. ” he said. “Whoa!. What a loser.”.
He then pivoted to what he believes is a deeper problem tied to the public works and the money involved. “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.”
Biden also pressed on the financial angle—arguing Trump’s approach to power is wrapped up in profit rather than public service. “Trump has made billions of dollars as he returned to the White House. It’s simply stunning to me,” Biden said. “He has no shame. Frankly, it’s embarrassing to the country. Trump couldn’t care less. Making money off the presidency is the only reason he wants to be president.”.
The ballroom itself has become a point of leverage in Washington. Earlier this month. Republicans removed $1 billion in funding for the ballroom. a concession that allowed for the advancement of a stalled immigration bill in the Senate. In April, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon blocked above-ground construction on the project.
On the Reflecting Pool, Biden’s critique lands on a cycle of spend and visible failure. Trump spent at least $16 million for renovations of the Reflecting Pool. only for algae to return to the landmark soon after. Footage from D.C.—shared by news organizations and on social media—also shows peeling paint.
The White House, for its part, has insisted the Reflecting Pool was vandalized. A statement sent to ABC News from the Interior Department this month said: “Fourteen police reports have been filed for vandalism. including the crime described in the President’s Truth Social post.” It added. “The U.S. Park Police will continue to carry out their number one duty of upholding law and order in our nation’s capital.”.
All of it gives Biden a ready-made storyline: a string of high-profile efforts tied to Trump’s brand and name, paired with expensive setbacks and fierce arguments over accountability.
By Saturday night, that tension was distilled into one blunt line—“What a loser”—as Biden framed the projects as both performative and corrupt.
Joe Biden Donald Trump Live! Casino & Hotel gala Washington DC White House East Wing demolition ballroom Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool vandalism claims Truth Social Richard Leon