Trump Turns Lincoln Memorial Pool Into Campaign Stage

President Donald Trump planned to deliver his closing midterm message at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Monday, Nov. 2, alongside nine tele-rallies, as Republicans tried to hold on to control of Congress in Tuesday’s elections. The campaign scheduled its final spectacle for 2 p.m. ET at a site that had reopened after renovation, then closed again after its lining began peeling and algae turned the water green, NBC News reported.

The previous day, Trump said he would speak there “just to show how beautiful it is,” while repeating allegations that someone had vandalized the pool. The Associated Press reported that he first said, “We might hold it tomorrow or something,” before the White House announced the Monday speech.

The campaign machine on the move

Trump’s appearance came after a month of rallies, mostly in conservative areas, aimed at mobilizing Republican supporters. The tallies differed by outlet: NBC News counted 28 rallies nationwide since Oct. 1; Fox News reported more than 27 in October and 30 in-person political appearances since August; and The Daily Beast called the Kansas appearance his 30th rally in 32 days. Fox said the campaign took him through more than 20 states.

The operation relied on a web of government and party staff. Alex Bruesewitz, a senior adviser to Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, said moving a sitting president takes White House staff, Republican operatives, campaign aides and advance teams, including the White House Office of Political Affairs, Office of Public Liaison and Republican National Committee. “It's actually much different than the campaign. When you're doing an event moving the current president of the United States, the logistics that go into it are nuts,” he told Fox News.

Trump held his last in-person rallies Sunday in Dubuque, Iowa, and Salina, Kansas. The AP reported that he spoke for two hours in Iowa and nearly 90 minutes in Kansas, where hundreds of people started leaving midway through the speech. He wrapped up nearly 10 p.m. local time.

The costs and claims beneath the spectacle

Economic worries shadowed the campaign. Reuters reported that voters focused on high and rising prices, and many blamed Trump’s policies, including tariffs and the Iran war, for persistent inflation. Reuters described Americans as being in a “sour mood,” while also reporting historically low unemployment, solid overall growth and stock-price gains from AI investment until recently.

The polls offered Republicans little certainty. NBC News put Trump’s approval rating at 40% in its latest poll. USA Today said his 36% approval rating was the lowest for a president heading into a midterm election in 80 years, with 61% disapproving, according to the New York Times poll tracker. The New York Times’ final polls had Democrats ahead in six of seven Senate battleground states, including Texas and Kansas.

In Iowa, a New York Times/Siena poll cited by The Daily Beast showed Democrat Josh Turek ahead of Republican incumbent Ashley Hinson 48% to 47%, within the margin of error. Democrat Rob Sand led Republican Zach Lahn 51% to 43% in the governor’s race. In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton led Republican incumbent Roger Marshall 49% to 44%, with Libertarian David Graham at 4%; Democrat Cindy Holscher led Republican Ty Masterson 48% to 47% in the governor’s race.

The Daily Beast reported that Marshall’s reelection campaign had taken a hit from a New York Times report: before entering politics, he sued 700 patients with outstanding bills, 81 of whom were arrested, and patients routinely faced 18% interest. In Michigan, Rep. Haley Stevens endorsed Republican Mike Rogers after attending a Detroit church service with him. Abdul El-Sayed, her former primary opponent, said he was focused on the cost of living and added, “None of this matters.”

The coverage describes campaign rallies, tele-rallies and party endorsements; it reports no grassroots mutual-aid effort or community-organized alternative. The campaign’s institutional message came from White House spokesperson Olivia Wales: “President Trump will continue crisscrossing the country with unmatched energy and enthusiasm to deliver a simple message: with Republicans in control of Congress, Americans can expect safer streets, lower taxes, secure borders, and energy dominance.”