Trump Makes Closing Midterm Pitch at Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

President Donald Trump delivered his closing midterm pitch at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Monday afternoon before the 2026 midterm elections.

The White House announced the event, which Trump chose over travel to energize Republican supporters in battleground states. He said the location would “show how beautiful it is.”

Trump said he is not stopping at the pool and described plans for a massive triumphal arch outside the city.

He also discussed renovations to a public golf course in Washington and a National Garden of American Heroes that would include sculptures of 250 prominent Americans.

Trump bristled at criticism from former President Barack Obama and other Democrats that he has spent too much time on construction projects.

The Reflecting Pool renovation, announced in April, finished nearly three months behind schedule with costs more than 10 times the initial $1.5 million estimate. The Justice Department dropped charges against former Olympian David Hearn, who had been accused of vandalizing the pool.

Trump claimed other presidents including Joe Biden and Barack Obama tried to renovate the Reflecting Pool but were unable.

Trump said, “The Democrat Party has nominated the most extreme and dangerous slate of candidates in American history.” Many Americans have already voted early ahead of Election Day on Tuesday Nov. 3.

Verified Facts

President Donald Trump delivered his closing midterm pitch at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Monday afternoon before the 2026 midterm elections. (NewsNation, PBS NewsHour)
Trump said his speaking at the Reflecting Pool site would show how beautiful it is. (NewsNation)
The White House formally announced Trump would give a speech at the Reflecting Pool Monday afternoon. (NewsNation)
Trump opted for an event at a Washington renovation project rather than traveling to key states to energize Republican supporters. (NewsNation)
The Reflecting Pool renovation project has been slow, expensive and problem-plagued. (NewsNation)
Trump spent a lot of time at rallies talking about his second-term focus on molding the White House and the surrounding nation’s capital in his own image. (NewsNation)
Trump crammed the Oval Office with gold flourishes. (NewsNation)
Trump demolished the East Wing to construct a sprawling ballroom. (NewsNation)
Trump erected a sprawling South Lawn helipad. (NewsNation)
Trump has planned a towering arch just outside the city. (NewsNation)
Trump is pushing to revamp a century-old public golf course. (NewsNation)
Trump bristled at criticisms from former President Barack Obama and other Democrats that he has spent too much time focused on construction projects. (NewsNation)
Trump said in April he wanted to change the Reflecting Pool color and use contractors he knew to fix the monument in mere days for about $1.5 million before Independence Day. (NewsNation)
The Reflecting Pool repairs wrapped up nearly three months behind schedule and the budget ballooned to more than 10 times Trump’s early estimate. (NewsNation)
Trump had initially declared the Reflecting Pool work was complete in June. (NewsNation)
After unveiling the overhaul, the Reflecting Pool was choked with algae blooms and its American-flag blue liner began peeling off in sections. (NewsNation)
The Reflecting Pool was quickly drained anew for repairs in mid-July. (NewsNation)
Trump repeatedly blamed vandals for the Reflecting Pool problems. (NewsNation)
Security cameras have been added to the Reflecting Pool to stop vandalism. (NewsNation)
The Justice Department charged former Olympian David Hearn with intentionally damaging the Reflecting Pool then abruptly dropped the case this summer. (NewsNation)
A judge later permanently dismissed the case against David Hearn. (NewsNation)
Trump will monitor election results from the White House. (CBS News)
Trump held campaign rallies in Kansas and Iowa on Sunday. (CBS News)
Trump held the event at the Reflecting Pool to highlight this administration’s achievements to make the country safer and wealthier. (CBS News)
Trump claimed other presidents including Joe Biden and Barack Obama tried to renovate the Reflecting Pool but were unable. (CBS News)
Trump claimed the country is creating trillions of dollars in wealth since the beginning of his presidency through tariffs. (CBS News)
Trump claimed the Reflecting Pool was vandalized and the administration was unable to prove in courts about vandals with knives tearing up the reflecting pool. (CBS News)
The Trump administration ultimately dropped the case against an Olympian charged with vandalizing the pool. (CBS News)
Trump announced the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation in April and painted it American flag blue at the president’s request. (CBS News)
Days after reopening, chunks of peeling paint from the blue coating were spotted in the Reflecting Pool water. (CBS News)
Trump claimed in a Truth Social post without any evidence that the Reflecting Pool had been vandalized. (CBS News)
Charges were eventually dropped against Olympian David Hearn who asked the Justice Department’s internal watchdog to investigate a request which was denied. (CBS News)
Trump said he isn’t stopping at the pool and talked about plans for building a massive triumphal arch which he claims will also become a military complex with tremendous drone capability and sniper or shooter capability. (NewsNation)
Trump explained his renovations for a public golf course in Washington and his plans for a National Garden of American Heroes which is supposed to include sculptures of 250 prominent Americans. (NewsNation)
Trump said the Democrat Party has nominated the most extreme and dangerous slate of candidates in American history. (New York Post)
Trump wrote on his social media site that his Sunday evening rally in Kansas was his last stop. (NewsNation)
Trump wore a white USA hat during his speech at the Reflecting Pool. (PBS NewsHour)
After finishing his remarks, Trump stood silently while triumphant music played and held up a poster with an image of the previously algae-clogged pool. (PBS NewsHour)
Trump displayed posters about the Reflecting Pool project in the Oval Office and had his motorcade drive him over the resurfaced pool before it was refilled. (PBS NewsHour)
Trump has called affordability a hoax while boasting about his renovations of the reflecting pool and the White House. (PBS NewsHour)
Trump flipped through photos of the damaged pool describing how crews resurfaced and re-caulked its granite. (Los Angeles Times)
Trump spent time listing numerous other renovation projects around the capital arguing the construction work shows how his presidency is delivering for the American people. (Los Angeles Times)
Many Americans have already voted early ahead of Election Day Tuesday Nov. 3. (CBS News)