Trump focuses on Reflecting Pool in final public speech before midterms

President Donald Trump holds up an image of algae in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as he speaks at the pool, in Washington, D.C., Nov. 2, 2026.Andrew Harnik | Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump began his final scheduled in-person speech before Tuesday's Election Day with a lengthy disquisition about his efforts to renovate the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and other sites in Washington."Today I'm thrilled to announce the official opening of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool," Trump said Monday afternoon in front of the water feature, which was fenced off for months amid a problem-plagued renovation the president had ordered.The speech, which lasted nearly an hour, was expected to serve as Trump's "closing argument" on the midterms before millions of voters head to the polls to determine which party will control the House and Senate in the next Congress. Read more CNBC politics and policy coverageBut Trump kicked off his remarks with more than 20 minutes of commentary that focused largely on the Reflecting Pool, along with his administration's work on refurbishing other Washington-area monuments and cracking down on crime in the nation's capital."The pool is now better ...