President Trump Touts Reflecting Pool Renovation

What happened

Updated 6:01am ET

President Donald Trump touted the Reflecting Pool renovation in his closing midterm campaign speech. He devoted much of his final major public appearance before Election Day to the pool’s pipes, algae and repairs. The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool had reopened after work meant to fix long-running leaks and algae, but the $16 million project later drew scrutiny when its new surface peeled and the water turned green. Trump defended the renovation as a successful fix and joked about renaming the pool after himself. He blamed vandals for the peeling, while court statements and an inspection tied it to repair problems. Voters cast ballots next, with control of Congress at stake.

How the left told it

Left-leaning outlets framed the speech as a misplaced closing pitch, stressing that Trump lingered on landscaping and plumbing instead of voters’ economic and wartime concerns. The New York Times emphasized the gap between his chosen topics and the issues driving the election. CNN cast the appearance as a weak final contrast as Republicans faced possible losses. The Boston Globe focused on his disputed vandalism claim.

How the right told it

Right-leaning outlets framed the appearance as a closing argument about restoring Washington and keeping Republicans in power. Just the News emphasized the pool reopening as part of Trump’s push to improve landmarks and make the capital cleaner and safer. Breitbart News highlighted his warning against Democratic control and his case for his administration’s record, while noting that the troubled pool work undercut the celebration.