Republican operatives feared losses in the House and Senate
President Trump devoted his election-eve speech at the Lincoln Memorial on Nov. 2 to construction projects and renovations, frustrating Republicans who wanted him to focus on economic issues. The 53-minute address centered on the reflecting pool and other work Trump has overseen during his second term. Trump mentioned tax cuts and border security only briefly as Republican operatives grew increasingly worried about possible losses in the House and Senate.
Some White House officials had pitched the nearly hourlong address as a capstone to a flurry of midterm election rallies. Trump addressed the audience while holding up photos of the aging infrastructure he had replaced under the reflecting pool. “The pipes were very old and in bad shape,” he said. “The pipes now are totally renovated. They’re brand new pipes.”
Much of the speech was an inventory of projects, including cleaning up graffiti, fixing fountains and monuments, and resodding the National Mall. Trump also discussed the grass in front of the White House. “Like the human being, grass has a life also,” he said. “The grass in front of the White House was a very inferior grass for many, many years, and now it’s beautiful.”
Republicans, including some of Trump’s own White House advisers, privately expressed exasperation with the choice. GOP operatives had grown increasingly worried about far-reaching losses in the week’s election, and the mood inside the White House had grown dour. A person close to the president responded to a request for comment with a face-palm emoji. A prominent Republican strategist said the backdrop was great but the message was wrong. Another Republican operative said the algae that had plagued the reflecting pool would be the least of the party’s problems if Republicans lost the House and Senate on Tuesday.
Retiring Nebraska Republican Rep. Don Bacon said, “He has never been known for message discipline.” Bacon had hoped Trump would focus more on GOP accomplishments such as tax cuts and border security, which the president touched on only in passing. He added: “At least he wasn’t talking about men’s behinds.”
The stated purpose of the speech became a point of disagreement afterward. Some Trump advisers argued that the remarks were not intended as a closing message. A senior White House official had previewed them on Sunday as a final argument to voters and an opportunity for Trump to tout Republican accomplishments.
Trump views beautification of Washington as one of his strongest legacies and has told advisers that it inspires pride in the country. Aides have privately encouraged him to focus on other subjects, but Trump has largely rejected that advice, believing the issue will resonate with voters. Polls have shown that a majority of Americans disapprove of his construction projects, including the new White House ballroom, though most Republicans view them positively.
“The president’s a builder. You can’t keep him away,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said at the event.
Trump had been expected to spend Monday speaking at two or more rallies across the country, part of a monthlong effort to motivate his conservative base to show up at the polls. Instead, he dialed into a series of virtual rallies and gave remarks at the Lincoln Memorial, something he had been angling to do for weeks, according to people familiar with the matter.
Trump wore a white USA ball cap while delivering the speech to a small group of National Park Service workers and members of the media. He stood beside a large photograph of the reflecting pool bearing the caption, “Back, and more beautiful than ever!” Trump used some lines featured in rally speeches, but without the raucous applause that typically accompanies them. The scene was mostly quiet, and the reflecting pool’s adjacent sidewalks were shut down as a security precaution.
“We’re giving serious thought to changing the name to the Trump Reflecting Pool,” Trump said at the beginning of his remarks, clarifying that he was joking. He spent only a small portion of the speech on the election, attacking Democratic candidates as radicals and touting the tax cuts he signed into law.
Trump had ordered the reflecting pool’s renovation earlier in the year, saying he would complete it more quickly and cheaply than others. Plans to reopen the historic pool in time for America’s 250th birthday celebration were derailed when green algae blooms appeared.
Trump also accused vandals of slashing the new liner he had painted “American flag blue,” though charges were dropped and the contractor acknowledged that it had made mistakes. As he touted the new coating on the bottom of the reflecting pool, Trump asked whether anyone had the relevant pictures. An aide came to the lectern with a stack of photographs. “These are the pipes,” Trump said, adding, “That’s brand new grass that was vandalized.”
Trump framed the renovation as part of a larger project to restore the standing of the United States. “We were laughed at all over the world for four years,” he concluded. “We were laughed at like we were stupid people. We were laughed at by every ruler, every president, every prime minister, every king, every queen. But they don’t laugh anymore.”