Donald Trump used the Lincoln Memorial in Washington to deliver his final message before Tuesday’s midterm elections, devoting much of a 35-minute appearance to defending the renovation of the reflecting pool beneath Abraham Lincoln’s statue.
Wearing a white USA cap, Trump displayed enlarged photographs and praised the project, highlighting the installation of “completely new pipes” as well as sealing and painting work. He again insisted that the pool had been successfully restored, although the renovation has remained controversial since its reopening.
The pool was expected to feature bright blue water, but it soon appeared green and algae-covered, as it had before the work. The administration also accused David Hearn, a 67-year-old Olympic canoeist, of vandalizing the pool without sufficient evidence before dropping the charges.
The focus on the site came as surveys pointed to other issues weighing more heavily on voters, including historically low presidential approval, inflation, rising gasoline prices linked to the war in Iran and fear in cities connected to the administration’s immigration agenda.
Trump’s appearance marked the end of a campaign tour that included 28 rallies across nine Republican-led states over the previous month. Choosing Washington rather than a contested district for the final event added to the unusual character of the campaign, as did his repeated calls for voters to act as though he himself were on the ballot.
All 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats are being contested. Republicans face the possibility of losing both chambers, a result that has occurred only six times in U.S. history: in 1894, 1918, 1946, 1954, 1994 and 2006.
Rather than stepping back from the midterms, Trump placed himself at the center of the campaign. During the event, he repeated attacks against Barack Obama and Joe Biden, made xenophobic insults against Abdul El Sayed, who is seeking a Michigan Senate seat, and promoted what he described as achievements on crime and border security.
The reflecting pool has become a symbol of Trump’s interest in reshaping Washington. The article says he has devoted more than $67 million to improvements in the capital and has repeatedly compared the pool’s size with that of famous buildings, reflecting his background as a developer and his desire to leave a personal mark on the city.
With early voting at record levels, voters were set to deliver their verdict on Tuesday, while attention also focused on whether Trump and his allies would accept the results after a year of undermining public confidence in elections.
Sources: El País Portada.