Former U.S. President Joe Biden launched a scathing attack on sitting President Donald Trump, calling him "What a loser." CNN described it as "the most direct criticism of President Trump since leaving office."
According to CNN and other U.S. media Saturday, Biden made the remarks at a Democratic fundraising event held at a casino in Maryland the previous day, citing various ventures Trump has pursued.
Biden referred to Trump tearing down the East Wing of the White House to build his own ballroom and attempting to put his own name on the Kennedy Center, saying, "Wow, what a loser." He continued, "The reflecting pool is reflecting something far worse than the narcissism and incompetence at the heart of this administration. It's corruption. Brazen, naked corruption. Corruption on a scale we've never seen in any administration in American history."
Regarding the "judicial victims fund" that Trump pushed, Biden said, "What makes me angry is that Trump wants to give taxpayer money, your money, to the participants in the January 6 Capitol riot. That's what he wants to do." He added, "These people don't deserve to be compensated. They deserve to be locked up for a long time."
The timing of Biden's blistering criticism of Trump coincidentally falls exactly two years after the two faced off in the 2024 presidential debate. At the debate held in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 27 of that year, Biden stumbled over his words several times, made remarks that strayed off topic, and appeared to stare blankly while Trump was speaking. Following the debate, which was an utter disaster, Biden faced fierce calls within the Democratic Party to replace him as the candidate, and ultimately announced on July 24 of the same year that he was abandoning his reelection bid.
Ahead of this November's midterm elections, Biden has sharply expanded his political activity, publicly endorsing Democratic candidates from his administration and meeting with figures such as Maryland Governor Wes Moore, who is mentioned as a 2028 presidential contender. Over the past month, he has accepted invitations to Democratic events held in Maryland, South Dakota, and his home state of Delaware, not hesitating to criticize Trump. His wife, Jill, has also appeared in the media and gone on tour since late last month to promote her memoir "The View from the East Wing," while their younger son Hunter, branded a "problem child" over various controversies, has reinvented himself since last month as an influencer with a large social media following and has appeared on various podcasts.
In his speech the previous day, Biden said he is "still fighting" for the party. "To all of you who love our country, my message tonight is clear and simple. Get up, dammit. Get up now. Keep up this fight," he stressed, drawing applause from the audience, CNN reported.
