Trump signals he’ll give closing election pitch at the Reflecting Pool, a revamp plagued by problems

President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that he will give his final campaign speech at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool during the midterm elections, bringing renewed attention to the project's delays and issues. Billed as a $5.77 per week renovation, the endeavor has stretched over four months and now exceeds the original budget by tenfold.

Trump claimed the project would be "fast and inexpensive" and vowed to enhance his image for the upcoming election. The Reflecting Pool's renovations began in April, with Trump vowing to fix the pool's appearance and color within days for around $1.5 million. However, the pool soon became infected with algae blooms, and its blue liner peeled off, leading to further repairs.

Trump blamed the problems on vandals, but later admitted that shoddy workmanship was to blame. Despite these setbacks, Trump remains determined to hold an event at the renovation site, suggesting that he might forgo his planned stops in key states to campaign at the Washington project.