Trump's Final Midterm Pitch? 20 Minutes on Pipes and Caulking, Not Votes

Just before voters head to the polls in midterm elections where surveys show Democrats with a solid lead over Republicans, Donald Trump chose an unusual closing argument, according to France 24. Rather than hammering home a final campaign message, he spent more than 20 minutes walking his audience through the technical troubles plaguing the Reflecting Pool renovation at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.

France 24 reports Trump's remarks centered on pipes, joints and caulking issues tied to the project, a notably granular topic for what was billed as his last major speech ahead of the vote. The focus on infrastructure minutiae came at a moment when his party is trying to close a polling gap with Democrats.

The speech's unconventional content has drawn attention precisely because of its timing, delivered on the eve of elections widely seen as a referendum on the current political moment in Washington.