A joke about a swimming pool turned into a full-blown social media fight between President Donald Trump and California Democrat Ted Lieu on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The exchange happened on Election Day, hours before voters headed to the polls to decide control of Congress. What started as a lighthearted remark at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool ended with Trump calling Lieu a “fraud” and Lieu telling the White House to thank the “Lame Duck POTUS” for a “FUBAR.”
The Joke That Started It All
The whole thing began on Monday, November 2 , during what the White House billed as Trump’s “closing argument” speech before the midterm elections. Standing in front of the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Trump spent much of his time talking about the pool’s repairs, including replaced rusted pipes.
At one point, Trump floated the idea of putting his own name on the landmark. “We’ll announce that some time tomorrow,” he said. “I’m sure that Secretary Doug Burgum will have a lot of fun in announcing that. Now I’m only kidding. I’m only kidding. Please don’t report it.”.
The crowd of reporters laughed. Trump moved on. But the remark did not stay buried.
Trump Goes After the Daily Mail First
On Tuesday morning, Trump posted a long message on Truth Social attacking the Daily Mail for its coverage of the Monday event. The outlet’s headline read: “Trump delivers final midterms speech to just 60 people at the renovated Reflecting Pool and threatens a major rename.”.
Trump called the story “fake news” and “so corrupt.” He argued the Monday appearance was not a campaign speech but a “NEWS CONFERENCE” that was closed to the public and attended only by reporters. He said his real final midterm speeches were rallies in Iowa and Kansas the day before, where he claimed 50,000 people attended.
“The Daily Mail wrongly took my joke at a Presidential News Conference where the beautiful Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was opened yesterday, and pretended it wasn’t a joke when I said, I’m going to name it, ‘TRUMP.’”
The Attack on Ted Lieu
Minutes later, Trump fired off a second Truth Social post. This one was aimed at Rep. Ted Lieu, the California Democrat who had criticized the renaming remark on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Trump called Lieu a “Lightweight Congressman” and “one of the least respected in Washington, D.C.” He accused Lieu of making a “knowingly malicious, false, and defamatory statement” by suggesting Trump seriously wanted to rename the Reflecting Pool the “Trump Reflecting Pool.”.
Trump insisted he had made the remark “in a jocular manner” and had immediately added, “Don’t worry, I’m only joking.” He said all the gathered reporters laughed. Then he went after Lieu directly.
“But ‘Lightweight’ Lieu, his new moniker, didn’t add the line that I’m only joking because he is a FRAUD. This was done at a News Conference, and even the Media was aghast that Lieu would have lied like that.”
Trump closed his post with a final jab: “He’s a Third Rate Congressman, and always will be!”.
Lieu’s Response: “FUBAR” and Diet Advice
Lieu did not back down. In a post on X, he asked the White House to thank the “Lame Duck POTUS” for “continuing to remind the American people about his Reflecting Pool FUBAR.” He added a sharp line about Trump’s military record: “Since Trump dodged the military, you may need to explain FUBAR to him.”.
Lieu also brought up the Kennedy Center, asking whether Trump was joking about putting his name on that building too. The Trump administration has been in a legal battle to add Trump’s name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The congressman then turned personal — but with a humorous edge. Lieu said on X that he had switched to intermittent fasting and lost weight. “POTUS has been commenting on men’s bodies lately, so I’m tickled that he noticed,” Lieu wrote. He suggested Trump “may also want to try intermittent fasting because he’s on the heavy side.”.
Lieu also updated his X profile “in honor of Trump’s post,” though the exact change was not detailed in reports.
Why the Reflecting Pool Matters
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is one of Washington’s most recognizable landmarks. It sits between the Lincoln Memorial and the World War II Memorial on the National Mall. The pool recently underwent renovations, including the replacement of rusted pipes, and Trump used the Monday event to highlight the work.
Trump’s joke about renaming it fits a pattern. During his second term, he has pushed to rename several landmarks and bodies of water. In August 2026 , he signed an executive order directing federal agencies to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America. The administration previously renamed the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America for official U.S. government use. Trump also restored Fort Liberty’s former name, Fort Bragg, and changed the nation’s highest peak from Denali back to Mount McKinley.
A Pattern of Election-Eve Distractions
The Reflecting Pool speech drew criticism beyond Lieu. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump did not take questions during the Monday event, making the “news conference” label unusual. A senior White House official had described the appearance beforehand as a final argument to voters and a chance to highlight Republican achievements.
Instead, most of the remarks focused on the pool and other building projects. The Journal reported that many Republicans were frustrated, hoping for a stronger closing message the day before voters went to the polls.
Social media users also questioned the timing. One X user wrote that Trump “doesn’t even mention Midterms until 20 minutes in, nothing about the cost of living, gas, health care”.
The Back-and-Forth on Election Day
The exchange unfolded as voters across the country cast ballots in the 2026 midterm elections. Polls suggested Democrats could make gains, while Republicans hoped to hold their slim majorities in the Senate and House.
Trump’s decision to spend his final scheduled public appearance before Election Day talking about a pool — and then spending Election Day morning attacking a congressman and a British tabloid — drew attention away from the closing campaign message his party had planned.
Lieu’s response leaned into that contrast. His original criticism of Trump, posted before Trump’s Truth Social attack, focused on pocketbook issues. Lieu wrote that gas prices, diesel prices, and grocery prices have “skyrocketed,” and asked: “What are Trump and his Republican enablers focused on? Changing the name of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to the Trump Reflecting Pool.” He urged voters to “Punish them at the ballot box. Repudiate them. Vote.”.
What Trump Actually Said About Renaming
Trump’s Monday remark was brief. He said: “We’ll announce that some time tomorrow. I’m sure that Secretary Doug Burgum will have a lot of fun in announcing that. Now I’m only kidding. I’m only kidding. Please don’t report it.”.
The “please don’t report it” line came after the joke, not before. Trump’s complaint about Lieu centers on the idea that Lieu left out the “I’m only kidding” part. But the full quote shows Trump did say he was joking — right after floating the idea.
The White House did not issue a formal statement about the renaming. Trump’s Truth Social posts served as his response.
A Feud With a History
Trump and Lieu have clashed before. Lieu, a frequent critic of the president, has used social media to mock Trump on various issues. In October 2026 , Lieu joked on X about Trump’s environmental policies, writing: “You caught me … I created photosynthesis just to mess with MAGA”.
Trump has a history of giving nicknames to political opponents. He has called Rep. Thomas Massie a “third rate congressman” and a “weak and pathetic RINO” in a separate dispute. The “Lightweight” label for Lieu follows that pattern.
Lieu’s decision to bring up Trump’s weight and diet adds a personal dimension. Trump has long been sensitive about comments on his body and health. Lieu’s intermittent fasting remark was designed to sting — and it landed on the same day Trump was already inflamed about coverage of his pool speech.
What the Exchanges Reveal
The Tuesday posts show how quickly a light moment at a press event can become a multi-front argument. Trump spent part of Election Day defending a joke, attacking a newspaper, and insulting a congressman. Lieu used the moment to fundraise off the attention and to push his party’s message about costs.
The Daily Mail did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s attack, according to Mediaite. The White House did not issue a separate statement beyond Trump’s posts.
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For voters heading to the polls, the exchange offered a final image of the campaign’s closing days: a president focused on a reflecting pool, a congressman focused on groceries and gas, and a social media fight that overshadowed both.
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