Trump preoccupied with construction projects as midterms begin

Mail-in ballots began rolling out in North Carolina, marking the official kickoff of the 2026 midterms, while Donald Trump appears absorbed in a string of self-promotional construction schemes in the capital. Recent weeks have seen the hiring of a pool contractor to fix the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, the groundbreaking of a 250-foot “triumphal arch,” and the rollout of arcade-style video games targeting undocumented immigrants.

Trump also discussed his projects in an interview with New York Magazine, conceding that he builds monuments because he doubts others will. Polling cited by analysts indicates that a large majority of Americans expect him to focus on lowering prices and ending the Iran conflict, not on these vanity endeavors. The distraction is viewed as detrimental to Republican hopes in the upcoming elections.