Biden says Trump made ‘billions’ in White House, calls Reflecting Pool a symbol of ‘corruption’

SEVERN, MARYLAND: Former President Joe Biden on Saturday, June 27, accused President Donald Trump of using the presidency for personal gain, saying the administration's renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool symbolized what he described as unprecedented corruption in government.

Speaking at the Maryland Democratic Party's 'Fight Back & Win Gala,' Biden also criticized Trump's foreign policy, White House renovation plans, and other projects, calling them examples of misplaced priorities. His remarks came as Democrats seek to energize supporters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Biden accuses Trump administration of corruption

Biden argued that the administration's actions extended beyond policy disagreements and reflected a broader pattern of self-interest.

"It's not just his deliberate distortion and destruction of NATO, and choosing Putin as an over American ally. Or the fact that he's diminished our standing in the eyes of the world more than any president in history has," Biden said.

He then criticized several projects associated with Trump's presidency, including plans to renovate the White House and work carried out at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

"It's not just his vanity project, tearing down East Wing of the White House, making room for his ballroom. Putting his name on a Kennedy Center. Building an arch in his own honor."

Biden said the Reflecting Pool represented what he viewed as a deeper issue within the administration.

"Reflecting Paul reflects something even worse than a narcissism and incompetence at the core of this administration. It's the corruption, the brazen, blatant corruption. Corruption on a scale never seen before in American history in any administration."

He went on to accuse Trump of personally benefiting financially from returning to office. "Trump has made billions of dollars as returning to the White House. It's simply stunning to me. He has no shame. And frankly, it's embarrassing for the country, but Trump could care less. Making money off the presidency is one of the reasons he wants to be president."

Biden blasts Trump's NATO and Jan 6 policies 

Biden also used the address to criticize Trump's handling of international alliances, arguing that the president had weakened America's standing abroad while pursuing personal political interests.

He accused Trump of undermining NATO and prioritizing Russian President Vladimir Putin over long-standing US allies, saying the administration had diminished the country's global reputation.

Biden later shifted to the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, condemning any effort to compensate those involved in the riot.

"But you know what, it's not even the corruption and the money that makes me the most angry. It makes me angry that Trump wants to give taxpayers' money, your money, to the January 6 insurrectionists. People who stormed the Capitol, attacked the police," Biden said.

"My God. These people don't deserve to be compensated. They deserve to be put in jail for a long, long time."