Donald Trump spent the final day of campaigning before the midterm elections highlighting the reopening of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and other construction projects in Washington D.C., even as polls suggest Republicans are poised for significant losses in both chambers of Congress. Trump acknowledged the historical trend of the sitting president’s party losing midterm seats, stating, “For some reason, the sitting president doesn’t win the midterms,” but maintained his campaign had made “a very strong shot.” He spoke at a nearly hour-long press conference alongside Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, focusing extensively on the pool’s renovation, describing it as a “massive piece of pool” that had been “treated with a lot of love and then treated with a lot of hate.” This focus came as Trump continued a campaign season characterized by “disjointed rambling and musings,” including comments about Republican Senator Jon Husted. He has urged supporters to vote in the midterms as if he were on the ballot, despite polling data suggesting he may be hindering Republican candidates in close races. Al Jazeera reported Trump traveled 28 days in a row to campaign for Republicans running for Congress.
Our reading is that President Trump appears to be prioritizing the presentation of completed or planned infrastructure projects over addressing the predicted Republican losses in the upcoming midterm elections. The emphasis on the Reflecting Pool renovation, coupled with the continued promotion of other D.C. projects, suggests a campaign strategy focused on showcasing accomplishments rather than directly countering negative polling data. This focus seems particularly notable given the acknowledgement of historical trends favoring the opposing party in midterm elections.
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