President Trump spent the final day of the midterm campaign talking about his renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, an unusual closing argument for a president whose party faces the prospect of losing its grip on Washington.
With control of the House and Senate hanging in the balance, Mr. Trump on Monday announced the reopening of the historic pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial. His closing message to voters was that restoring the Reflecting Pool and other Washington landmarks shows he can also improve their lives.
“Our country is strong, respected and prosperous once more and our capital is cleaner, safer and more spectacular than ever,” Mr. Trump said. “Well, we don’t have graffiti in Washington anymore.”
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Mr. Trump did pivot toward the end of his speech to outline the stakes of Tuesday’s election, but his remarks were largely focused on Reflecting Pool’s restoration. He showed photographs of the renovations and celebrated the landmark’s reopening, underscoring his efforts to remake the nation’s capital, rather than delivering a traditional election-eve appeal to voters.
The president’s focus on Washington’s appearance comes as Republicans struggle to overcome voter frustration with high prices and the cost of living, issues Democrats have made central to their campaigns. With control of Congress at stake, Mr. Trump’s emphasis on beautification projects offered a sharp contrast to the economic concerns shaping the final days of the campaign.
He only briefly discussed his record in office, saying he secured the border, reduced crime and extended the tax cuts from his first term. However, in a speech that lasted an hour, roughly 40 minutes was dedicated to Mr. Trump’s Washington renovation projects.
“The Democrats want to blow all of this up by electing communists, jihadists in the United States Congress. We will not allow that to happen,” he said. “We have to keep our Congress strong and free.”
At one point, Mr. Trump appeared resigned to the possibility of defeat as polls forecast Democrats capturing the House and potentially the Senate.
“For some reason the sitting president doesn’t win the midterms, but we gave this a very strong shot,” he said.
He then returned to talking about his efforts to remake the White House and Washington, which has polled poorly among voters. Democrats have used Mr. Trump’s focus on local beautification projects to portray him as out-of-touch with the needs of voters anxious about the economy.
Roughly 75% of Americans have a negative view of Mr. Trump’s ballroom, Reflecting Pool and triumphal arch projects, according to a Washington Post/Ipsos poll.
“This is just [what] the median voter wants to hear — an update on various capital improvement projects in the District of Columbia,” Ashley Schapitl, a former Biden Treasury official, posted on social media.
The Reflecting Pool itself has become a source of controversy. What began as a $1.5 million resurfacing project ballooned to roughly 10 times that amount amid peeling surfaces, algae blooms and additional repairs. Mr. Trump has blamed vandalism for some of the damage, although prosecutors dropped charges against a man accused of damaging the pool after acknowledging problems with its installation.
Monday’s event was the conclusion of a month-long blitz that took Mr. Trump across the country to boost Republican candidates. He held rallies in about 20 states, including many Republican strongholds. He urged voters to pretend he is on the ballot.
The president is also conducting a series of tele-rallies with supporters in the final days of the campaign.
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