Trump Spends 20 Minutes on Reflecting Pool in Final Pre-Election Speech

President Donald Trump delivered his final scheduled in-person address before the November midterm elections on Monday afternoon. The speech took place at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., a site that had been closed for months due to renovation work.

The president opened the event by announcing the official reopening of the water feature. He spent the first 20 minutes of the nearly hour-long speech detailing the administration's efforts to refurbish the pool and other monuments in the capital. Trump stated that the pool is now better and more beautiful than it has ever been. He also reiterated his claim that vandals damaged the pool and delayed repairs, a narrative that conflicts with court filings from July 31. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro told a court that the damage resulted from a contractor's botched installation. Trump criticized Pirro for that admission but maintained his position that vandals were responsible.

The president did not reference the upcoming elections until the 23-minute mark of the address. He described the midterms as the most important in a lifetime and argued that the Democratic Party has nominated the most extreme slate of candidates in American history. Trump named Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed specifically while criticizing the opposition. He also repeated his claim that a Republican victory would result in every citizen receiving $5,000.

Despite his confident tone, Trump acknowledged the historical trend that the party of the sitting president often underperforms in midterm elections. He noted that the sitting president rarely wins the midterms but said the administration had given the election a very strong shot. He urged voters to do the right thing and keep Congress strong and free.

Toward the end of the speech, the president returned to discussing his administration's physical projects in Washington. He outlined plans to build a massive triumphal arch and a promenade along the Potomac River. He also described a new National Garden of American Heroes that would feature between 250 and 500 statues. The address concluded with comments on the renovation of a public golf course in the capital, a project currently facing legal challenges.

The speech served as a primary campaign stop for the administration ahead of Tuesday's voting. Millions of voters are expected to cast ballots to determine which party will control the House and Senate in the next Congress. The event marked the end of Trump's scheduled public speaking engagements prior to Election Day.