Donald Trump made his final pitch before the midterm elections at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Monday, devoting much of the event to the landmark’s renovation rather than the campaign. He described the pool’s past condition and praised its reopening, while also joking that it could be renamed the Trump Reflecting Pool.
Trump said the administration was considering the name change and that an announcement could come the next day, then added that he was kidding. He also used poster boards showing an aerial image of the pool and asked an aide to bring him a printout of how it had looked before the work.
The renovation has drawn scrutiny over its cost and execution. The report says a $16.4 million polymer liner began peeling soon after installation, while a federal review found that the lining had been poorly installed by the contractor rather than damaged by vandals, as Trump had claimed. The project was also awarded without the competitive bidding process required by Congress, according to the report.
Only after spending nearly 30 minutes on the Reflecting Pool did Trump turn to the election. He attacked Democratic candidates and urged his supporters to vote Republican, arguing that a strong turnout among people who backed him in the previous election would deliver a landslide.
Trump also highlighted other projects he said he planned for Washington, including an arch inspired by the Arc de Triomphe, a golf course at East Potomac Park and a “Garden of American Heroes.” Meanwhile, the report notes that Republican candidates have sought distance from Trump during the campaign, even as he has framed the midterms as a referendum on his time in office.
Sources: Rolling Stone.