Trump touts Reflecting Pool renovation and blames predecessors for algae days before midterms

Summary

Less than 24 hours before Americans voted in the midterm elections, President Donald Trump held a press conference at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in Washington on Monday afternoon. He used the event to promote his troubled $14m renovation of the landmark, and to make his closing pitch to voters, saying it can take a long time to get rid of filth. According to The Guardian, he blamed his predecessors for the algae that once bloomed in the water. The Guardian's weekly 'This Week in Trumpland' newsletter framed the event as part of an election week that also saw Democrats win decisively in the midterms, and that Trump's focus on the 'beautification of Washington' had not been dented by that.

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   4 Nov 2026, 12:37 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reported that on Monday afternoon, less than 24 hours before Americans headed to the polls, Trump staged a press conference at the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in which he touted his troubled $14m renovation and blamed his predecessors for the algae that once bloomed in its water.