This is bad news for Republicans heading into the midterms, as the president's closing message landed on landscaping projects while layoffs and weak earnings pile up.

• Trump used his final pre-midterm appearance to praise a renovated reflecting pool rather than address voter concerns, drawing criticism as tone-deaf from observers at home and abroad.
• Disney plans to cut jobs across its theme parks, TV, and movie divisions by as much as 20%, part of a wider wave of corporate layoffs.
• Intel's chip manufacturing business took a hit after its stock dropped sharply in October, and Apple shares fell on a weak profit outlook, adding to signs of economic strain.
• The Trump administration tried to challenge how California counts ballots but was turned down by the Supreme Court.
• Public approval for the president remains underwater, and he dismissed the polling as unreliable.

Outlook: With voting underway and the economy showing cracks (layoffs, weak tech earnings, high living costs), the midterm results will be read as a referendum on the administration's handling of the economy.