US President Donald Trump dedicated his final campaign speech before the Tuesday midterm elections primarily to the renovation of the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial. While the event was intended as a standard political rally, the Republican leader provided surprisingly detailed explanations regarding the restoration work on the water feature. During the ceremony, Trump declared the pool "back and more beautiful than ever" and suggested renaming it the "Trump Reflecting Pool." He only addressed his political opponents later in the speech, labeling Democrats as "extremists" and warning voters against helping them win, while simultaneously claiming credit for ushering in a "golden age" for America and significantly boosting economic performance.
The Reflecting Pool has been the subject of months of controversy. Trump reiterated claims that the pool had been intentionally vandalized, despite the US Department of Justice having already refuted this assertion. The President had previously ordered costly renovations to give the approximately 600-meter-long basin a blue tint. However, shortly after the initial work concluded, algae turned the water green. While Trump attributed this discoloration to vandalism, a subsequent investigation determined that the damage was caused by serious construction defects for which the contracted building company was responsible.
Since July, the pool has been fenced off for additional repairs, during which a construction firm renewed the coating and cleaned the filtration system before refilling the basin. The total cost of the project has exceeded 16 million dollars, a figure that stands in stark contrast to the originally announced budget of between 1.5 and 1.8 million dollars. Meanwhile, pollsters indicate that approval ratings for the President are at an all-time low. Many US citizens attribute this decline to high fuel and living costs, citing the war with Iran and Trump's aggressive tariff policies as contributing factors.
Sources: Der Spiegel.