Trump pivots to failing Reflecting Pool for final pre-election speech
The president is using a damaged Washington D.C. landmark as his stage on election eve, a move that contrasts sharply with his usual tour of conservative states.
By Vikram Harrison ·
President Donald Trump is delivering his final campaign address of the midterm election cycle at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. He chose the site despite its recent history of structural failures and budget overruns, aiming to showcase the renovation work to voters on the eve of the Tuesday vote.
The repair project for the pool has been marked by delays and rising costs. In April, the administration estimated the work would take a few days and cost about $1.5 million. The actual repairs took nearly three months to complete and exceeded that initial estimate by more than 10 times. The pool was drained again in mid-July after the new liner began peeling and algae blooms appeared.
Trump has attributed the damage to vandalism, while the office of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro cited poor workmanship as the cause. The Justice Department initially charged former Olympian David Hearn with intentionally damaging the site but dropped the case this summer. A judge later permanently dismissed the charges, leading Trump to criticize Pirro publicly for folding on the case.
This speech marks a strategic shift in the final days of the campaign. Instead of traveling to key swing states to energize Republican supporters, the president is holding the event in Washington. This follows a month in which he staged more than 25 rallies in largely conservative areas. Polls suggest that Democrats may benefit from voter concerns over high energy prices and the cost of living, factors that have weighed on the president's approval ratings.
Trump has emphasized his second term's focus on transforming the White House and the surrounding capital. He has installed gold flourishes in the Oval Office and demolished the East Wing to build a ballroom. He also converted the Rose Garden into a patio style similar to his Mar-a-Lago estate and erected a new helipad on the South Lawn. The Kennedy Center is closed while the administration attempts to add his name to the building.
During a Sunday visit to Iowa, Trump told reporters that speaking at the pool would show how beautiful it is. He did not give a specific date at that time, but the White House formally announced the speech would take place on Monday afternoon. The event serves as his last major public appearance before voters cast their ballots to decide the composition of Congress.
