Two years to the day after a televised debate that ended his re-election bid, former US President Joe Biden delivered a stinging critique of his successor Donald Trump at a Democratic party fundraiser in Maryland on Saturday. Biden singled out what he called Trump’s ‘vanity projects’ — the demolition of the White House East Wing for a ballroom, the affixing of his name to the Kennedy Center, the building of a triumphal arch, and the hiring of his personal ‘pool guy’ to renovate the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. He branded the sitting president ‘a loser’ and asserted the pool saga reflected ‘narcissism and incompetence at the core of this administration’ as well as ‘brazen, blatant corruption.’ The speech, which also accused Trump of enriching himself and his family since returning to office, marked one of Biden’s sharpest public attacks since leaving the White House, according to participants and American media reports.

The Reflecting Pool renovation — a cornerstone of Trump’s beautification push ahead of the 4 July semiquincentennial — has turned into a political vulnerability. Within weeks of a reported $14–16 million overhaul that included a dark blue lining and a no-bid contract awarded to a firm owned by a Trump donor, the shallow pool suffered a major algae bloom, killed ducklings, and had its coating crack and peel away. The National Park Service and the president have attributed the damage to vandals who allegedly slashed the lining and poured chemicals into the water, citing a blurry surveillance video. However, ecologists and aquatic experts cited by US public broadcasters argue that the dark colour absorbed heat, the city’s tap water is nutrient-rich, and the summer timing created ideal conditions for algal growth. Congressional Democrats are demanding explanations and cost oversight.

Biden’s re-emergence on the party circuit coincides with a precarious personal and political position. The 83-year-old is undergoing treatment for stage-four prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, aides have confirmed. At the Maryland event — and days earlier at the Obama Presidential Center opening in Chicago — video footage showed him hesitating on stage, momentarily unsure which exit to use. His favourability rating stands at 30%, a record low according to a CNN poll, and many Democrats remain frustrated with the 2024 campaign’s handling. Meanwhile, members of his family have drawn scrutiny: former First Lady Jill Biden is promoting a memoir that revisits the painful debate night, and son Hunter Biden maintains a combative social-media presence, stating his father ‘chose me over his legacy.’

The pool fiasco is only one element of a broader struggle over Trump’s reimagining of the capital’s monuments, with additional legal battles over the Kennedy Center renaming and unfinished promenade plans. As the 250th independence celebrations approach, the administration is racing to complete its projects; the pool is being chemically treated and refilled, but experts warn that without a permanent filtration solution, future blooms are likely. The dispute now underscores the fault lines in Washington as both parties prepare for the November midterm elections, with Maryland’s Democratic governor Wes Moore calling for ‘advancing’ not merely pushing back.