Trump selects damaged Lincoln Memorial pool for final midterm speech

President Donald Trump will deliver his final major campaign speech at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Monday afternoon. The site was chosen despite ongoing repair issues that have drawn criticism from both political parties.

The decision places the focus of the midterm election finale on a renovation project that has cost far more and taken longer than initially projected.

Trump originally estimated in April that contractors he knew could fix the pool in days for about $1.5 million. He expected the work to be finished before Independence Day. The repairs were completed nearly three months behind that schedule. The total cost ballooned to more than 10 times the early estimate, a figure that assumes no further work is required.

The project has faced visible setbacks since its completion. Algae blooms choked the water shortly after the initial unveiling. Sections of the new “American-flag blue” liner peeled off. The pool was drained again in mid-July for additional repairs.

Trump has attributed the problems to vandalism. He told reporters on Sunday that the pool “was vandalized badly” and noted that security cameras have been installed. However, the office of U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, led by Jeanine Pirro, stated that shoddy workmanship caused the issues.

Pirro is a former Fox News host and a longtime ally of Trump. Her office previously charged former Olympian David Hearn with intentionally damaging the pool. The case was abruptly dropped this summer after determining Hearn was not responsible. A judge later permanently dismissed the charges.

Trump reacted to the dismissal by saying he was “really disappointed” with Pirro. He described her as having “folded like an umbrella” but did not remove her from her position.

The speech on Monday marks a departure from Trump’s usual campaign strategy. He has held more than 25 rallies in the past month, mostly in conservative areas. These events were designed to energize Republican voters and counter polls suggesting Democrats could gain ground. Factors cited in those polls include the Iran war, high energy prices, and rising costs of living.

Trump wrote on his social media site that his Sunday evening rally in Kansas was his “last stop” before the election. He spent considerable time at recent rallies discussing his second-term construction projects. These include gold flourishes in the Oval Office, a new ballroom replacing the East Wing, and a Rose Garden patio resembling his Mar-a-Lago estate.

The president has also closed the Kennedy Center after failing to add his name to the building. He has planned a towering arch outside the city and is pushing to revamp a century-old public golf course. He has defended these efforts by saying renovations relax him and that he executes them quickly without extensive planning.