Trump’s closing message hits a topic close to his heart — but not voters’ minds

CNN and NPR report that President Donald Trump used what was billed as his final pitch to voters before the midterm elections to talk mostly about repairs to Washington landmarks. Speaking Monday at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Trump spent roughly an hour on the project and only about ten minutes on the elections. NPR describes the address as the president's last expected public appearance and says its message about backing Republicans wandered, according to CNN · NPR.

According to CNN, Trump went through the pool's plumbing problems, brought an aide named Greg on stage with photographs, and blamed vandals for delays. CNN notes, however, that the contractor and the U.S. attorney's office in Washington have attributed them to poor workmanship. The April promise of a two-week, $1.5 million job stretched into months and millions more dollars.

CNN adds that a White House official said the president has grown gloomier about Republican prospects in recent days, and that voters interviewed in battleground states never listed Washington projects among their top concerns. Trump ended by telling the audience that covering the nation would take more time than they had.

Summarized by PolitiKool from CNN · NPR and NPR’s reporting. Read the full story at CNN · NPR → Also at NPR →