US President Trump makes final midterm campaign pitch at reflecting pool

President Donald Trump used his final scheduled public speech before the US midterm elections to declare the renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington DC open, spending the opening of the address on a $14 million project that has been delayed and criticised. He spoke on Monday, November 2, the day before Election Day, which fell on Tuesday, November 3. This report covers the speech and does not report results.

According to Al Jazeera, Trump has staked his presidency on the outcome of the election and had been travelling 28 days in a row to campaign for Republicans running for Congress.

A contentious renovation

CNBC reported that Trump opened with more than 20 minutes on the pool and other work on Washington monuments, saying the pool was "better and more beautiful than it's ever been before". The Guardian reported that he went into detail on changes to the pool's pipes, the grass around it and the granite. The pool had been fenced off for months during the work.

The Guardian reported that after Trump first showed off the makeover in June, a large algae bloom turned the water green rather than the "American flag blue" he had promised, and the coating began to peel.

Trump again said that vandals had damaged the pool. The Guardian said his administration has not produced evidence for the claim, and CNBC described the vandalism claims as unfounded.

The closing argument

CNBC reported that Trump's first direct mention of the midterms came about 23 minutes in. CNBC and DW both reported that he called them the most important midterm election "in our lifetime". CNBC quoted him as saying the Democratic Party had nominated "the most extreme and dangerous slate of candidates in American history", and DW carried the same charge. DW also reported that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, called Trump's closing message "pathetic".

Trump also acknowledged that the president's party usually does badly in midterms. "For some reason, the sitting president doesn't win the midterms. But we gave this a very strong shot," he said, as quoted by CNBC and DW.

The Guardian reported that voters have voiced dissatisfaction with Trump's handling of the economy and the cost of living, with gas and grocery prices up since the start of the year and inflation staying high, which it attributed largely to the war with Iran that began at the end of February. DW likewise reported that rising living costs and energy prices linked to the war were at the centre of the vote.

Separately, Ted Widmer, a former White House speechwriter, wrote in a Guardian opinion column that Trump's rally speeches over the past two months were the worst ever given by a US president, citing vitriol toward opponents, groundless predictions of victory and profanity.