In his final public remarks to US voters on the eve of the 2026 midterm elections, Trump chose to spotlight an unusual subject: the renovations to the Lincoln Reflecting Pool. His comments focused less on the fiercely contested congressional landscape, where Republicans face razor-thin margins and warnings of a potential “blue wave.”
For about 20 minutes on Monday — roughly the same amount of time he later spent addressing the approaching elections — Trump described the details of his Washington project. The Reflecting Pool is one of several sites in the nation’s capital that he has targeted for renovation.
Trump highlighted the pool’s size, calling it “the largest in the world, almost as tall as two Empire State buildings laid on its side.” He also praised the new grass and topsoil, remarking, “That’s a big deal, re-grassing,” before spending considerable time explaining the particular shade of blue selected for the pool’s bottom.
“They call it American black-blue, but it’s very dark,” Trump said to the small group gathered around the podium.
“And if you had a regular blue — like, I personally love the lighter color blue — but then you wouldn’t have any reflection. It wouldn’t be reflective anymore.”
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Trump also condemned what he described as vandalism at the site, blaming it for the peeling and claiming, without providing evidence, that vandals had “slashed the hell” out of the pool.
Standing before the newly repainted black-blue pool, Trump called it “a really beautiful thing.”
“It’s a work of art in many ways — but it was a work of art that never worked. But now, it will work.”
The audience, composed largely of staff members and National Park Service rangers, responded with restrained applause.
