Pool Reports of April 28, 2023

In-Town Pool Report #1: Brunch Lid Until 2:00PM

Good morning. And happy Friday. The White House has called a brunch lid until 2:00PM.

In-Town Pool Report #2: Ceremony Begins

The Air Force Falcons entered the East Room first. President Biden followed shortly afterward to healthy applause.

The trophy is on the left next to a helmet, jersey, and football emblazoned with President Biden's name.

Biden gives a shoutout to Gen. Milley but jokes "he played hockey." Remarks are ongoing.

The White House passes along the following:

The Second Gentleman
Rep. Don Davis (NC-01)
General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
General Charles Brown, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force
General David Thompson, Vice Chief of Space Operations

Air Force Academy Leadership
Lieutenant General Richard Clark, Superintendent
Amy Clark, Spouse of Lieutenant General Clark
Nathan Pine, Director of Athletics
Jennifer Block, Executive Director of Athletic Programs
Kevin Anderson, Associate Athletic Director
Troy Calhoun, Head Football Coach

Air Force Academy Falcons Players and Coaches
Marc Bacote, Assistant Coach
Jake Campbell, Assistant Coach
Evan Hanberry, Assistant Coach
Roger Hayhurst, Assistant Coach
Tim Horton, Assistant Coach
Charlie Jackson, Assistant Coach
Brian Knorr, Assistant Coach
Kenneth Lamendola, Assistant Coach
Alex Means, Assistant Coach
Gary Mossop, Assistant Coach
Kale Pearson, Assistant Coach
Will Quillman, Assistant Coach
Brett Skene, Assistant Coach
Taylor Stubblefield, Assistant Coach
Mike Thiessen, Assistant Coach
Nick Toth, Assistant Coach
EJ Whitlow, Assistant Coach
Elizabeth Worthington, Assistant Coach
Anthony Wright, Assistant Coach
Cadet Haaziq Daniels, Team Captain
Cadet Bradley Roberts, Team Captain
2nd Lieutenant Thadius Blackmon
2nd Lieutenant Elijah Brockman
2nd Lieutenant David Cormier
2nd Lieutenant Omar Fattah
2nd Lieutenant Chris Herrera
2nd Lieutenant DeAndre Hughes
2nd Lieutenant Colby Raphiel
2nd Lieutenant Vince Sanford
2nd Lieutenant Amari Terry
Cadet Brendon Bentley
Cadet Connor Carey
Cadet Benjamin Jefferson
Cadet Tracy Love
Cadet Kyle Patterson
Cadet Robert-Dayle Pescaia
Cadet Jace Waters
Cadet William Westerling
Isaac Cochran

Run of Show
The President
Troy Calhoun, Head Coach of the Air Force Falcons
Team Captains Cadet Haaziq Daniels and Cadet Brad Roberts present jersey

Background
The Commander-in-Chief's Trophy is awarded to the service academy football team with the best overall win-loss record against the other service academies who have football teams (Army, Navy, and Air Force). It was first established in 1972, and the President typically invites the winning team to the White House to present them with the Trophy. For the 2022 football season, the winner of the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy is the United States Air Force Academy - The Air Force Falcons. The last time the Air Force Falcons received the Trophy was for the 2016 season.

In-Town Pool #3: Ceremony Concludes

"Where I'm going, I may need that helmet," Biden joked when presented with an Air Force Falcon helmet at the conclusion of the ceremony.

He did not respond to a shouted question about Ukraine.

POTUS walked out of the East Room at 2:47.

In-Town Pool Report #4: Lunch Lid Until 4:15PM

White House calls a lunch lid until 4:15PM

In-town pool report #5 - departure

On a soggy late Friday afternoon, the motorcade started rolling away from the south lawn at 5:39.

Headed to the Salamander hotel for a DNC reception.

Pooler was unable to see POTUS and FLOTUS leave the WH, but did spy a sprinkler on in the rain.

In town pool report #6 - arrival at hotel

Motorcade arrived at Salamander Hotel at 5:46 pm. Pool was escorted to the lobby bar with no POTUS or FLOTUS sighting. Holding at the bar now until further notice.

In town pool report #7 - accompanying staff

The WH passes this list along…Traveling with the President and the First Lady via motorcade en route to the Salamander Washington D.C. Hotel:

Steve Ricchetti, Assistant to the President & Counselor to the President
Jen O' Malley Dillon, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Annie Tomasini, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President & Director of Oval Office Operations
Mike Donilon, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President
Anthony Bernal, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the First Lady
Emmy Ruiz, Assistant to the President & Director of Political Strategy & Outreach
Ashley Williams, Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations
Ryan Harper, Special Assistant to the President & NSC Deputy Chief of Staff
Jordan Montoya, Special Assistant to the President & Personal Aide to the First Lady
Sheila Grant, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Presidential Speechwriter
Travis Dredd, Special Assistant to the President & Trip Director

In-town pool report #8 - awaiting remarks

Pool was ushered into the ballroom at 7:04 pm …awaiting remarks. I'll send quotes asap.

There's roughly a dozen tables of 10 people each.

White House sent along this list:

Participating in a photoline with the President and the First Lady at the Salamander Washington D.C. Hotel:

Senator Tom Carper (DE)
Senator Bob Casey (PA)
Senator Chris Coons (DE)
Governor Gavin Newsom (CA)
Governor Wes Moore (MA)
Governor Phil Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy (NJ)
Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-AL)
Rep. Brendan Boyle (PA-02)
Rep. Sharice Davids (KS-03)
Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14)
Rep. David Trone (MD-06)
Rep. Veronica Escobar (TX-16)
Rep. Maxwell Frost (FL-10)

Pool will send

In Town travel pool report #9 - departure from hotel

POTUS delivered remarks for roughly five minutes and received a standing ovation afterward.
Pool was immediately escorted out of the hotel and into vans - headed back to the WH at 7:47 pm.

Quotes to come asap.

In Town travel pool report #10 - back at WH and lid

Pool arrived back at the WH at 7:52 and a lid was called at 7:59.

Quotes still to come – no mention of Trump specifically in Pres. Biden's remarks, though he did blast MAGA Republicans.

In town pool report #11 -- top-line remarks

POTUS spoke for roughly 5 minutes:

Here are the top lines.

He thanked the people in the room, governors and big DNC supporters, and asked them for their continued support for his re-elect in 2024.

"Here's the bottom line. It's very simple: We need you. Our democracy needs you because this is about our freedoms. MAGA Republicans are trying to take us backwards, but together we're not going to let them do it.

We must finish this job. Look, let's keep growing the economy from the middle out to the bottom up, and let's protect a woman's right to choose and codify Roe v. Wade."

Biden said it's important to protect Social Security and Medicare for people "who have paid into to it their whole lives."

"You know we've got a lot done, but there's so much more to do. And I'm here to help I know we can do it. I really do. Just like we did in 2020. Remember 2020? When everybody had written us off, and you folks, you folks in this room, you knew we could do it ,and we did. You raised significant amounts of money to allow us to compete.

And remember 2022, the midterm elections, when we were supposed to get our clock cleaned. The Red Wave is coming? Give me a break. Because of your help, it never happened. … We're going to do it again in 2024 together."

Biden received a standing ovation at the end of his remarks.

I'll send the beginning of his remarks in the next email.

In town pool report #12 - extended remarks

DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison addressed the crowd first and then introduced POTUS.

"Now folks, how about the news this week?

"I can't be more excited to gather today as we celebrate this week's announcement that President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are running for reelection," he said to cheers and applause.

"Four years ago, President Biden declared his candidacy for president – by stating that we are in a battle for a soul of this nation. My friends, with so much on the line and so much more left to do…we've got to finish the job by re-electing Pres. Biden and re-electing Vice President Harris."

POTUS then walked onto the stage with Bruce Springsteen's "We take care of our own" playing in the background.

Biden thanked "all of you who have had my back through all of it, and are here tonight…because you really, really did a great job. And I think it sounds like you're ready to do it again," he said to cheering and applause.

"Folks, we've already accomplished a lot after being told we wouldn't be able to get anything done, remember in 2020?…But with the help all of you here, and many of my colleagues in the House and Senate, we've generated 12 million brand new jobs in two years, more than any single president did in a four-year term."

"We passed the American Rescue Plan, the most aggressive economic recovery plans since Franklin Delano Roosevelt…," Biden said, adding that Democrats also passed the bipartisan infrastructure bill, "the biggest one since Eisenhower," and "the most significant investment in manufacturing and research and development in American history."

He said that included $400 billion in private investment in manufacturing and clean energy, creating tens of thousands of jobs.

He also touted his role in passing the most "transformational investment in our climate in history," which he said is going to reduce carbon emissions by 1 billion tons by 2030, and "we're on track for net zero emissions by 2050 worldwide."

"We've reduced the cost of insulin from $100 to $35 a month….no senior is going to have to pay more than $2,000 for the totality of all the drugs they need, including expensive cancer drugs that cost $10 – $12 – $14,000 a year."

"Folks, we passed the most significant legislation to reduce gun violence in 30 years…put the first black woman on the Supreme Court."

Biden touted his role in putting "more black women on the federal circuit court than all three previous presidents combined."

On Foreign Policy:

"I don't think it's an exaggeration to say we've re-established American leadership in the world," he said, noting that "Putin thought he was going to break NATO down with the invasion of Ukraine."

But, "we restored Americans standing on the world stage."

All of that, he said, he managed to get down "with the help of you just in two years."

"Imagine how much we can do. I'm here tonight to ask for your help to help me finish the job."

Please see #11 pool report for the rest of his remarks, which were made after these, at the end of the address.

That's all for tonight – hope you have a great rest of your evening.