President Trump chose a somewhat unusual backdrop Monday as he made his final pitch to voters ahead of Tuesday's crucial midterm elections: the newly restored Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C.
The president stood in front of the gleaming pool to both show off his administration's handiwork as it works to spruce up the nation's capital and call attention to what's really at stake on Election Day.
And, despite a rigorous cross-country campaign schedule the past several weeks, he had plenty to say about both topics.
"The pool is now better and more beautiful than it's ever been before, and we're very proud of it," Trump declared, while acknowledging some of the headaches that accompanied the renovation.
"We went through a lot with vandalism," he said.
The president also discussed his other plans for Washington, including a proposed triumphal arch and a promenade connecting the Lincoln Memorial to the Potomac River.
"This project should be a project that unites all Americans," Trump remarked.
He then pivoted to Tuesday's elections, telling the crowd it was "the most important midterm I believe in our lifetime."
"The Democrat Party has nominated the most extreme and dangerous slate of candidates in American history," he said, also describing Democrats as "a party that hates America."
Trump touted his administration's record on immigration, crime, energy, and the economy, arguing that Republican control of Congress is essential to preserving those gains.
.@POTUS: Personal incomes are the highest in history. The poverty rate is at a record low. American exports are at an all-time high. More people are working today than ever. The U.S. is now, by far, the largest supplier of oil and natural gas anywhere in the world. https://t.co/dv2fKsjl85
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 2, 2026
.@POTUS: We have the most secure border in history. We got the biggest tax cuts in history. We caught billions in Democrat-approved fraud. We protected your Second Amendment rights — and we always will. https://t.co/6VlwxX6P9R
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 2, 2026
The president also took the opportunity to once again promise $5,000 payments to American adults if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress.
He then gave a blunt assessment of the midterms, candidly admitting, "Usually whoever the sitting president is, Republican or Democrat, good or bad, good president, great president, bad — for some reason, the sitting president doesn't win the midterms. But we gave this a very strong shot."
🚨 JUST NOW: President Trump wraps up his CLOSING REMARKS for the 2026 midterms at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, touting some of his MAJOR wins And showing a photo of what the pool looked like BEFORE his repairs. Cleaning up American cities -- especially our capital, stopping the ENDLESS flow of illegals into our country, ramping up deportations, and LOCKING UP CRIMINALS, just to name a few MAKE SURE YOU VOTE, PATRIOTS! Our country will be in HUGE trouble if the Democrats win.
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) November 2, 2026
President Trump ended his Monday appearance with a strong declaration about America's standing on the world stage.
"We were laughed at like we were stupid people," he said. "We were laughed at by every ruler, every president, every prime minister, every king, every queen. But they don't laugh anymore."