Trump Touts $14 Million Pool Renovation Hours Before Midterms

Donald Trump defended the $14 million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool at a Monday press conference, blaming his predecessors for the algae bloom that had covered the water, less than 24 hours before Democrats won decisive gains in Tuesday's midterm elections, according to the Guardian's This Week in Trumpland newsletter.

How much did Trump's reflecting pool renovation cost taxpayers?

The project carried a price tag of $14 million, the Guardian reported. Trump had promised the water would turn "American flag blue" after the renovation; instead it was overtaken by a green algae bloom earlier this year, a result the Guardian described as becoming "an international joke."

What did Trump say about the algae bloom?

Standing at the reflecting pool and holding up an enlarged photo of the algae-covered water, Trump told reporters the bloom predated his renovation. "This was in the Biden era … They just spend money after money after money," he said, per the Guardian's transcript of the briefing.

"The algae is brutal. It forms easily … All you saw was dirt and filth and paper and everything else for years." — Donald Trump, Nov. 2 press conference

By the numbers

• $14 million: cost of the reflecting pool renovation Trump defended at the site, per the Guardian.
• Less than 24 hours: gap between the press conference and the start of midterm voting, per the Guardian.

Did the pool event change the midterm outcome?

No. The briefing came one day before voters delivered what the Guardian's own reporting characterized as "decisive midterm election wins" for Democrats. The Guardian noted polling already showed voters were unhappy with Trump's focus on renovation projects before the vote, and the algae event did not reverse that sentiment.

Timeline

• Monday, Nov. 2: Trump holds the reflecting pool press conference, a day before polls open.
• Tuesday, Nov. 3: Midterm elections take place nationwide.
• Wednesday, Nov. 4: The Guardian's newsletter reports Democrats' midterm gains as Trump continued emphasizing "beautification of Washington."

What did Trump claim about his administration's record?

At the same event, Trump pivoted to broader claims about his tenure, saying, "I've kept every single promise I made, except far more," and asserting he had "achieved more in two years than any other administration in history," according to the Guardian's account of his remarks.

Why did Trump focus on beautification before the vote?

The Guardian cited Wall Street Journal reporting that Trump viewed the "beautification of Washington" as one of his strongest legacies, even as aides advised him to focus on other issues ahead of the midterms. The Guardian wrote that Trump "has not listened to such guidance," framing the reflecting pool briefing as evidence he was "struggling to read the room" just before Democrats' election-night gains.

The Guardian's analysis presented the episode as one of several moments — alongside what it described as space proclamations and a broader deflection of blame — that defined the president's week as results came in.