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US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) reopened the renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool at the National Mall, accusing previous administrations of allowing Washington DC to fall into disrepair and claiming that his administration was restoring the US capital.
Announcing the reopening while delivering his closing campaign pitch ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections, Trump praised the renovation work and credited officials from the Department of the Interior for restoring the historic landmark. He also briefly joked about renaming the pool after himself before clarifying that he was not serious. "I'm thrilled to announce the official opening of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Now, we're giving serious thought to changing the name to the Trump Reflecting Pool. We'll announce that sometime tomorrow. I'm sure that Secretary Doug Burgum will have a lot of fun in announcing that," Trump said. He immediately clarified that the suggestion was a joke, cautioning reporters against taking the remark seriously. "No, I'm only kidding. I'm only kidding, please. Don't report it, justthey'll cut it off and they'll say, 'Yeah, he's changing the name.' No, we've done a great job here, though," he added. Trump said the reflecting pool was now in better condition than ever before and alleged that the site had previously witnessed unprecedented vandalism. "The people from Interior have been incredible. And, uh, the pool is now better and more beautiful than it's ever been before. And we're very proud of it. We went through a lot with vandalism. The vandalism was unprecedented. People don't like talking about it," he said. Describing the landmark's importance to Washington, Trump called it a prominent feature of the National Mall and referred to it as the largest reflecting pool in the world. "It's a fixture of our National Mall, and it's a crown jewel of the Capitol," he said. Taking aim at previous administrations, Trump accused them of failing to maintain the capital and allowing disorder and vandalism, while contrasting their record with his administration's efforts. "While past Administrations tore down statues, allowed thugs and murderers to run wild, and let our capital fall into shameful disrepair, we're treating our capital city with the love and the honor that it deserves. We respect it," he added. The reopening comes a day ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections, in which all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 seats in the Senate are being contested. The elections will determine which party controls both chambers of Congress for the next two years. Earlier, Trump expressed interest in seeking another presidential term if permitted by law, while acknowledging the constitutional restrictions under the 22nd Amendment. "I'd love to run again if I had the chance, but the language is very exacting," he told The New York Post's Miranda Devine on her 'Pod Force One' podcast. The US midterm elections are scheduled to be held on Tuesday, November 3 (local time), with all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate up for election. The elections will determine which party controls both chambers of Congress for the next two years, shaping the legislative agenda of US President Donald Trump's administration. Democrats need a net gain of three seats in the House and four seats in the Senate to secure majorities in the respective chambers. The elections are also seen as a major political test for Trump's presidency, as voters decide the balance of power in Congress midway through his four-year term. (ANI)
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