In brief
At a Democratic fundraiser in Hanover, Maryland, former President Joe Biden lashed out at former President Donald Trump, accusing the 45th president of pursuing costly “vanity projects” in the capital. Biden highlighted Trump’s plans to build a new White House ballroom, rename the Kennedy Center, and renovate the Reflecting Pool, calling the efforts wasteful and self‑serving. He also criticized Trump’s offer to reimburse Jan 6 supporters, which was later blocked by a judge. The speech marked one of the most biting exchanges between the two leaders as the 2024 campaign heats up.
Joe Biden delivered a sharp rebuke of former President Donald Trump at a Democratic Party fundraiser held in Hanover, Maryland, on Saturday, branding the 45th president a loser for pursuing what he described as vanity projects in Washington, D.C.
During his ten‑minute address, Biden focused on Trump’s plan to demolish part of the East Wing of the White House to create a new ballroom that he claimed was unnecessary. He also criticized Trump’s effort to rename the Kennedy Center after himself, calling the move a personal aggrandizement that had already been reversed by a court order. In addition, Biden pointed to the expensive refurbishment of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, noting that the project was marred by subsequent algae growth and vandalism claims.
Beyond the capital projects, Biden addressed Trump’s recent proposal to provide financial compensation to former supporters of the January 6 incident. He said he was enraged that the former president wanted to use taxpayers’ money for those who had participated in that insurrection, a proposal that a judge later ruled unlawful and blocked.
Trump has not publicly responded to Biden’s comments but has repeatedly called the current administration’s leader a crooked politician in his social media posts. The remarks came a year after their heated debate during the 2024 campaign, an exchange that had significant implications for the political future of both men.
