Pool Reports of August 3, 2022

WH pool report #1 - Press briefing at 1:15

Good afternoon from the White House.

The press briefing will now begin at 1:15 PM.

President Biden tested positive for covid again today, per a letter from his doctor: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Update-8.3.pdf

He has one event on his schedule for later today:

2:00 PM THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks virtually on securing access to reproductive and other health care services at the first meeting of the interagency Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access; THE VICE PRESIDENT, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the Secretary of Homeland Security attend

Please reach out with any questions.

WH pool report #2 - 2 minute warning to briefing

The White House gave a 2 minute warning for the press briefing at 1:15 pm.

Please note the pool will leave the briefing at 1:45 pm to gather for the President's meeting with the Vice President and interagency Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access.

The White House says the press briefing will continue and conclude at 2:00 prior to POTUS remarks.

President Biden's remarks will be live streamed: https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

WH pool report #3 - 2 min warning on POTUS Task Force meeting

Two minute warning.

Pool entered the Indian Treaty Room in EEOB at 2:22 pm.

VP Harris entered at 2:31 pm.

Becerra, Garland and Mayorkas were already seated when pool entered as were senior White House staff - see participant list below.

Tables are set up in a rectangle for the Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access meeting. There are three giant TV screens around the room. Staff seated around room.

POTUS will speak first virtually.

A reminder this event is being live streamed: https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

From the White House:

The President will deliver remarks at the Meeting with Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Services. In attendance:

The Vice President
Attorney General Merrick Garland, Department of Justice
Secretary Xavier Becerra, Department of Health and Human Services
Secretary Denis McDonough, Department of Veterans Affairs (virtual)
Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Department of Homeland Security
Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks, Department of Defense
Deputy Secretary Julie Su, Department of Labor
Deputy Director Nani Coloretti, Office of Management and Budget
Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, Federal Communications Commission
Director Kiran Ahuja, Office of Personnel Management
Stuart Delery, Assistant to the President and White House Counsel
Susan Rice, Assistant to the President & Domestic Policy Advisor
Brian Deese, Assistant to the President & Director of the National Economic Council
Jen Klein, Deputy Assistant to the President & Director of the White House Gender Policy Council
Julie Rodriguez, Deputy Assistant to the President & Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
Evan Ryan, Deputy Assistant to the President & Cabinet Secretary
Neera Tanden, Staff Secretary and Senior Advisor to the President
Alondra Nelson, Deputy Assistant to the President and Dep Director Performing the Duties of the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
Rohini Kosoglu, Deputy Assistant to the President and Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President
Chair Lina Khan, Federal Trade Commission
Vanita Gupta, Associate Attorney General, Department of Justice
Melanie Rainer, Office of Civil Rights, Department of Health and Human Services

Run of Show:

The President (Virtual)
The Vice President
Secretary Xavier Becerra
Attorney General Merrick Garland
Secretary Denis McDonough (Virtual)

WH pool report #4 - Task force meeting details

POTUS spoke for about seven minutes, attending the meeting virtually.

The executive order was on his desk in front of him and he signed it when he finished speaking.

"I wish I was there in person," he said.

"We feel your presence," VP Harris said.

"You're on mute. I can't hear you," POTUS said as there was laughter from those in the room.

She repeated it with her microphone now on.

VP Harris, Secretary Xavier Becerra, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and Secretary Denis McDonough (virtually) then spoke. Jen Klein moderated the meeting, calling on each person to speak.

POTUS listened to the speakers from his zoom location, occasionally sipping from a cup on his desk.

At one point he was speaking to what appeared to be someone off screen but he was muted so pool could not hear him.

At the top of McDonough's remarks there was a spilt screen with him and POTUS but, a few minutes in, the screen went just to McDonough.

POTUS popped back in to the split screen as McDonough wrapped.

Pool was pulled at 2:58 pm and POTUS went off screen as pool was exiting.

WH pool report #5 - travel photo lid

At 3:19 pm, the White House called a travel photo lid.

Have a good evening.

WH pool report #6 - POTUS to appear at virtual DNC event tonight

The pool was just informed POTUS will participate in a virtual DNC thank you event (NOT a fundraiser) this evening at 6:30 pm.

The event is pool only.

Pool was provided a link to watch, will do and will provide a pool report accordingly.

WH pool report #7 - flags at White House to fly at half-mast in memory of Rep. Walorski

From the White House:

In memory of Congresswoman Jacqueline Walorski, the White House will fly flags at half-mast today and tomorrow.

WH pool report #8 - POTUS at virtual DNC event

The event began at 6:46 pm with some DNC speakers first.

President Biden came on 6:56 pm. He wore a dark suit, white shirt, and red and blue stripped tie. He spoke before a blue background that had Democrats.org written on it repeatedly.

He finished speaking at 7:13 pm and the zoom link immediately cut out.

There were 143 participants, according to zoom (a reminder that includes the press pool).

Here is a link to the otter (please note Biden spoke last and I've noted the earlier speakers below after POTUS' quotes; the otter link contains the full event): https://otter.ai/u/STonF13fCtVrbVoM8l8-KU8c8Ic

Some highlights (as always please double check against transcript):

POTUS started by repeating many of the same talking points he's said before about the economy, abortion rights, and taxes. He repeated his story about why he chose to run for president because of events on Charlottesville.

He's most newsy comments came at the end, where he repeatedly attacked "MAGA Republicans," calling them a "different breed of cat." And he stressed the importance of supporting the DNC so the party can win in 2022 and 2024.

This was his closing quote: "This ain't your father's Republican Party, man. This is a different breed of cat. These guys are MAGA Republicans. MAGA Republicans. We can't let them win for our children's sake. I really believe that with every fiber in my being. Anyway, thanks. I'm going on too long and I'm sorry. But I can't think of any more important right now but making sure we are in a position to win in 2022 - 2022 for the off year, as well as 2024. Thank you."

Here is POTUS from the top:

Biden started out his remarks by thanking a few by name, including Virginia McGregor, who serves as Deputy National Finance Chair of the DNC, and her husband Bob (note Virginia is from Scranton): "Their daughter's getting married at my old grade school - St. Paul's in Greenwich Corners - in November. And my granddaughter Naomi - named after my deceased daughter - is getting married in November down here. So I hope we both have great weddings."

Biden: "It's been an extraordinary few days for the nation." He then went on to talk about has happened in the past week, including the killing of al

Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, the passage of the PACT Act and Tuesday's election result in Kansas.

"We also saw something extraordinary in Kansas last night … a record number of voters turned out to stand up for a woman's right to choose. Look, if there's any doubt about what's going to happen in this country after the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, there isn't anymore. People aren't just going to vote. They're going to come out in record numbers and they're going to vote to reclaim the rights that the extreme Supreme Court has taken away form us."

"And they will never, never, allow MAGA extremists in the Republican Party to pass a national ban on a woman's right to choose in America no matter what the circumstances, which is what Maggie extremists are determined to do. ... Let me tell you, the Supreme Court and the MAGA Republicans don't have a clue about the power of women in this country."

"I am committed that we pass legislatively, Roe v Wade, into law."

He talked about the CHIPS Act and the recently introduced Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

"You need a little bit of breathing room, and it's the only bill that could reduce the cost of living for Americans immediately. Republicans have offered a lot of criticism but they've offered no answers. That's because they want to issue - they want an issue. They don't want to solve a problem. We're going to be solving a problem."

"Look. I've said it many times, I really do believe it - and I'm sorry for repeating - that we're at an inflection point this country, maybe the world. And the questions we're facing are as fundamental as what do we stand for? What do we believe? And most importantly, what kind of country we're going to be? That's true in everything from fundamental rights we have long taken for granted like the right to privacy, to the benefits we've come to depend on like Social Security and Medicare, to our very democracy."

"All of this is at risk from an extremist MAGA Republican Party. That's not your father's Republican Party. We need to make clear to the country this year just how critical and fundamental the choice is between us and the MAGA Republicans."

He spoke, as he has in the past, about being in a battle for the soul of the country.

"We need to take the message to the country. That's why what you're doing is so important. We got to be up in the air. We got to be up in the air every day. We got to be making our case. That's why supporting the DNC is so important. We need to get the message out. We need to reach, register and mobilize voters. We need to win up and down the ballot. We are literally in the battle for the soul of America. We need you so badly again."

"I've never been more optimistic about America's future than ever today.  We just have to keep the faith. Keep it up. Keep those contributions coming. You know, when I ran last time I've never known for being able to raise a lot of money. You all raised a whole lot of money for me. Over 1 billion 700 million dollars."

"We gotta do it again. We gotta let people remind them what is at stake. Because this is not – I'll say it again and I'll stop - This ain't your father's Republican Party, man. This is a different breed of cat. These guys are MAGA Republicans. MAGA Republicans. We can't let them win for our children's sake. I really believe that whatever fiber in my being. Anyway, thanks. I'm going on too long and I'm sorry. But I can't think of any more important right now but making sure we are in a position to win in 2022 - 2022 for the off year, as well as 2024. Thank you."

Back to the start of the event, where DNC Deputy Finance Chair Colleen Coffey did the welcome, noting the election is 100 days out.

Finance Chair Chris Korge spoke next, thanking the participants for their work in the 2020 election.

Jen O'Malley Dillon spoke next and said she was there in her personal capacity: "I'm here in my personal capacity as President Biden's 2020 campaign manager so it's appropriate. … I'm back in my attic, talking to you all, where I spent most of the general election getting to know many of you and being part of this team together. and I'm really here to say thank you to all of you."

More Dillon: "How heartened is it to look at what happened yesterday in Kansas, certainly in the results, which we all know to be so critical and such an important thing to have happened in a place like Kansas. But the energy and excitement that our folks turned out and turned out in such a broad coalition - really mirroring the coalition that President Biden had in 2020 - but doing so shows us what's possible and what's the path in November for our folks to be empowered and energized and excited."

DNC Chair Jamie Harrison spoke next and he introduced President Biden.

Harrison: "Those on this call always knew the type of leader that he is. But this past week the doubters and the naysayers were reminded that you should never bet against Joe Biden."

He went on to talk about Biden's good week including the CHIPS Act, the PACT act, and the killing of al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Harrison: "We're going to keep highlighting Republican extremism - the ways they played politics with our veterans, their eagerness to cut Medicare and Social Security, their willingness to threaten our health care, our access to abortion and our sacred right to vote, their blatant disrespect for our democracy, and we're going to put it in stark contrast with the steady principal leadership of the man that I have the honor to introduce now."

Please reach out with any questions.