At the Reflecting Pool, Trump will deliver midterms closing argument in front of landmark crowd

Trump’s final campaign pitch

Trump is scheduled to speak at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool at 2 p.m. as part of his final push before Election Day. A White House official told Axios that the location would let him promote his work renovating landmarks in the nation’s capital. He is also due to hold tele-rallies.

More than 50 million Americans have voted in this year’s midterms, exceeding the early turnout rate in 2022. Trump has made remodeling Washington landmarks a focus of his presidency and campaign.

Renovation draws criticism

A Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted at the height of the Reflecting Pool controversy found that 65 percent of respondents viewed Trump’s plans negatively. The poll also asked about construction of a White House ballroom and a proposed 250-foot archway near Arlington National Cemetery.

Asked about Trump’s goals, 51 percent said he had a different aim beyond making the city more beautiful. Forty-two percent said the goal was to glorify himself, while 22 percent said it was to leave his mark.

Stevens’ endorsement jolts Democrats

Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens’ late endorsement of Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s Senate race surprised some close friends and shook her party two days before Election Day. The endorsement left Republicans feeling “euphoric,” according to the report.

Dispute over the pool repair

Trump has criticized coverage of the Reflecting Pool renovation and maintained that vandals destroyed it. Federal prosecutors told a court that a botched installation of the lining was responsible. At a campaign event in Perry, Georgia, last week, Trump said, “It was built in 1922, and it hasn’t worked ever.” He also described it as a pool that “always leaked.”