Trump talks about Washington monuments in final midterm speech

President Donald Trump spent a large part of his final pre-election speech on Monday discussing his efforts to fix the Lincoln Memorial's Reflecting Pool and other Washington sites rather than focusing entirely on the upcoming midterms. Speaking in front of the newly reopened pool after months of delays, Trump spoke for nearly an hour, with the first twenty minutes dedicated to the pool, local monument renovations, and efforts to fight crime in the nation's capital. He claimed vandals caused the damage that delayed the repairs, despite U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro telling a court in July that a contractor made mistakes during installation. Trump finally mentioned the midterm elections around the twenty-three minute mark, calling them the most important in a lifetime and criticizing Democratic candidates, including Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. He also repeated a claim that voters would receive five thousand dollars if Republicans win. Toward the end of his remarks, the president seemed to accept that Democrats held an advantage based on historical trends for midterm elections. He also shared plans for other projects, such as a triumphal arch, a Potomac River promenade, a garden with hundreds of statues, and public golf course upgrades.

Context

Midterm elections happen midway through a president's four-year term and decide control of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Historical trends in American politics show that the party in power at the White House often loses seats during these midterms.