Trump makes his closing midterm pitch at the reopened Reflecting Pool, calling Democrats extreme

President Trump used his last public speech before the midterms, on Monday, Nov. 2, to show off the renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and argue for Republican candidates.

The official Roll Call Factba.se transcript logs about 44 minutes of speaking time from the president at the event, which also featured Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.

What he said

• On Democrats: He called the party's nominees "the most extreme and dangerous slate of candidates in American history," the Associated Press reported.
• On history: He acknowledged that the president's party usually struggles in midterms, saying "the sitting president doesn't win the midterms," but added that Republicans had given it "a very strong shot," according to AP.
• On his record: He said the border is the most secure in history and pointed to tax cuts, AP reported. He also claimed crime in Washington is down nearly 90%, according to the transcript.

The pool

AP reported that Trump spent about 20 minutes on his Washington construction projects and joked about renaming the pool after himself. He blamed vandals for damage to the pool, AP noted, although his administration acknowledged in court that renovation work it had commissioned caused the pool's closure.

The final push

The White House said Trump would join seven more tele-rallies in the afternoon and evening, AP reported. The speech came as Democrats' chances have improved amid frustration over inflation and the Iran war, according to AP.