Watch Trump delivers last pitch before midterms live at Reflecting Pool, site of botched renovation

A different final campaign stop

Trump is expected to speak at 2 p.m. EDT. He said Sunday that appearing at the pool would “show how beautiful it is,” according to comments to reporters as he arrived for a rally in Iowa.

The White House announced the speech hours after Trump suggested it might happen. He had called his Sunday evening rally in Kansas, after the Iowa visit, “my last stop” in a post on his social media site.

The Washington event is a shift from a month of more than 25 rallies, mostly in conservative areas. Trump has been seeking to rally supporters as polls point to possible Democratic gains, amid concerns about the Iran war, high energy prices and living costs.

Renovation draws renewed attention

Trump began discussing changes to the Reflecting Pool in April, saying he wanted to alter its color and expected contractors he knew to finish repairs in days for about $1.5 million, before Independence Day. The work ended nearly three months late, and the cost grew to more than 10 times his initial estimate. Trump declared the project finished in June, but algae filled the pool and sections of its “American-flag blue” liner peeled away. It was drained again for repairs in mid-July.

Trump has said vandals caused the damage. The U.S. attorney’s office in Washington attributed the problems to poor workmanship, while Trump maintained Sunday that the pool “was vandalized badly” and said security cameras had been installed.

Vandalism case was dropped

Trump criticized U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro over the decision, saying he was disappointed and that she had “folded like an umbrella.” He did not fire her. The pool project fits into Trump’s wider focus on changing federal properties and Washington landmarks. His efforts have included alterations to the White House grounds and plans for other construction projects in the capital.