Pool Reports of December 3, 2024

Travel pool report #1 - POTUS meetings in Luanda

Good morning from Luanda, I will be your pooler today.

While your pool is holding at the RON ahead of departure, sharing this note from the WH.

Last night, President Biden briefly met Wanda Tucker, a descendent of William Tucker, the first enslaved child born in the United States. William Tucker's parents were first brought to colonial Virginia from Angola in August 1619, aboard the Portuguese ship the White Lion. Today, Ms. Tucker is the faculty chair of psychology, philosophy and religious studies at Rio Salado College.

President Biden also met with Members of Congress, members of the President's Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement (PAC-ADE), and members of the President's Advisory Council for Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA). Participants include:

• Senator-Elect Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE)
• Representative Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51)
• Mimi Alemayehou, Founder and Managing Partner, Semai Ventures LLC (PAC-ADE)
• Franklin Amoo, Managing Partner, Baylis Emerging Markets (PAC-DBIA)
• Shavonne Arline Bradley, CEO, National Council of Negro Women (NCNW)
• Dr. Lonnie Bunch, Secretary of the Smithsonian
• Derrick Johnson, President and CEO, NAACP
• Florizelle Liser, President and CEO, Corporate Council on Africa
• Dr. Tonya Matthews, President and CEO, International African American Museum
• John Nevergole, CEO, ABD Group (PAC-DBIA)
• Chinenye Ogwumike, Forward, Los Angeles Sparks and Host and Analyst, ESPN (PAC-ADE)
• Bishop Silvester Beaman, Bethel A.M.E. Church in Wilmington, Delaware (PAC-ADE)
• Marva Smalls, Global Head of Inclusion, Paramount
• Mark Tatum, Deputy Commissioner and COO, NBA
• Rahama Wright, CEO, Shea Yeleen Enterprises (PAC-DBIA)

Travel pool report #2 - Rolling

At 11:59 am local time the motorcade is rolling to the presidential palace for the official arrival ceremony. Your pooler got a glimpse of POTUS sitting in his car.

It's a cloudy and steamy day in Luanda.

We expect cell service to be spotty, your pooler apologizes in advance for any delays.

Travel pool #3 - Presidential palace

The motorcade reached the palace at 12:07 pm after a short uneventful drive, passing empty streets lined with police officers and military personnel.

Your poolers spotted a few people watching the motorcade from their windows or balconies.

Travel pool report #4 - Arrival ceremony

At 12:15 pm POTUS exited his car and was greeted by the Angolan President Joao Lourenço.

The two leaders walked on a red carpet while a 21 gun salute was being fired.

A military band started playing the US national anthem and POTUS, standing next to the Angolan President on a small podium, laid his hand on his heart.

The Angolan National anthem followed.

Biden and Lourenço then reviewed the honor guard that was lined up in front of the palace, a terracotta building surrounded by palm trees.

Angolan and American flags were on display.

They posed for pictures, smiling and shaking hands, and POTUS greeted a number of officials, before entering the building at 12:24 pm with the Angolan president.

Biden did not answer a shouted question about his decision to pardon his son.

Per the WH these officials were traveling in the motorcade

Senator-elect Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE)
Rep. Sara Jacobs (CA-51)
Ambassador James Story, Charge d'Affaires, U.S. Embassy to Angola, São Tomé and Príncipe
Annie Tomasini, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Mike Donilon, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President
Ben LaBolt, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President & Director of Communications
Karine Jean-Pierre, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President & Press Secretary
Jon Finer, Assistant to the President & Principal Deputy National Security Advisor
Richard Ruffner, Assistant to the President & Director of Oval Office Operations
Ryan Montoya, Assistant to the President & Director of Scheduling & Advance
John Kirby, Assistant to the President & National Security Communications Advisor
Ethan Rosenzweig, Acting Chief of Protocol of the United States
Amos Hochstein, Deputy Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President for Energy and Investment, National Security Council
Ashley Williams, Deputy Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President & Director of Strategic Outreach
Curtis Ried, Deputy Assistant to the President & NSC Chief of Staff & Executive Secretary
Megan Rooney, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Presidential Speechwriter
Charles Fromstein, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for Visits & Diplomatic Affairs, National Security Council
Frances Brown, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for African Affairs, National Security Council
Jacob Spreyer, Special Assistant to the President & Personal Aide to the President
Scott Nathan, Chief Executive Officer, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation

Travel pool #5 - Bilat spray

At 1 pm the pool was led into an opulent reception room with marble floors and chandeliers on the first floor of the massive presidential palace.

Biden and Lourenço were seated facing each other at large wooden tables, flanked by officials from both countries.

Lourenço (speaking in Portuguese) welcomed his guest and commented on this first visit by a U.S. President being a "turning point" for the bilateral relationship, according to the simultaneous translation provided to the pool.

He said Angola wanted to increase the economic cooperation but also the security cooperation, for example in the maritime domain.

The Angolan President also mentioned the development of power grid projects, among others.

He applauded Biden's "great contribution" to the development of Angola through the Lobito Corridor project.

POTUS said he was "very proud" of being the first US President visiting Angola.

He touted various development projects in the energy, communication and agriculture sectors.

"The United States is all in on Africa" and "all in on Angola" he said.

"We need you to succeed" Biden declared, saying that the U.S. investing in Africa was "not selfless".

"The future of the world is here" he added.

"We don't think because we are bigger and more powerful we are smarter"

Pool was ushered out at 1:13 pm.

Shouted questions about whether Trump will continue investing in Africa and about the pardon remained unanswered.

As always please check against transcript.

We are now holding in the vans.

Travel pool report #6 - Delegations and background

Per the WH

The President is holding a bilateral meeting with President João Lourenço of the Republic of Angola.

U.S. Delegation
The President
T.H. Jon Finer, Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor
T.H. James Story, Charge d'Affaires, U.S. Embassy to Angola, São Tomé and Príncipe
T.H. Mike Donilon, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the President
T.H. Amos Hochstein, Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor for Energy and Investment
T.H. Molly Phee, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
T.H. Lisa Blunt Rochester, Senator-Elect from Delaware (Current U.S. Representative)
T.H. Sara Jacobs, U.S. Representative (CA-51)
T.H. Dr. Enoh Ebong, Director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency
T.H. Alice Albright, CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation
T.H. Scott Nathan, CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
T.H. Reta Jo Lewis, President, and Chairwoman of the Export–Import Bank of the United States
T.H. Frances Brown, Senior Director for Africa, NSC
Ms. Jessie Evans, Director for Southern Africa, NSC

Angola Delegation
H.E. João Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola
S.E. Jose di Lima Massano, Minister of State for Economic Coordination
S.E. Francisco Pereira Furtado, Minister of State & Chief of Security Affairs Office
S.E. Joao Ernesto Dos Santos, Minister of Defense and Veterans
S.E. Tete Antonio, Minister of Foreign Affairs
S.E. Vera Esperanca dos Santos Daves de Sousa, Minister of Finance
S.E. Marcy Claudio Lopes, Minister of Justice and Human Rights
S.E. Carlos Alberto da Silva Gregorio dos Santos, Minister of Public Works and Urbanism
S.E. Joao Baptista Borges, Minister of Energy and Water
S.E. Ricardo Daniel Sandao Queiros Vegas de Abreu, Minister of Transportation
S.E. Mario Augusto da Silva Oliveira, Minister of Telecommunication, Inforation Technology, and Social Communication
S.E. Edeltrudes Mauricio F. Gaspar Da Costa, Chief of Staff
S.E. Victor Manuel Rita Da Fonseca Lima, Secretary of Diplomatic Affairs and International Cooperation of the President
S.E. Agostino de Caravalho Dos S. Van-Dunem, Angolan Ambassador to the United States

Background:
Angola—a growing regional leader—is critical to advancing U.S. economic, energy, and security priorities in Africa and the Atlantic. President João Lourenço hosted Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Palace on January 25, 2024, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on September 27, 2023.

Travel pool report #7 - Back at RON

The motorcade left the presidential palace at 2:30 pm and was back at the RON at 2:37 pm after a short drive under heavy rain.

Travel pool report #8 - SAO gaggle

Your pool was briefed by a senior administration official, speaking on background, at the RON.

Herewith a few rough quotes from this gaggle.

"It was a really warm and substantive conversation that President Lourenço and President Biden had"

"President Biden started off talking about how this is a really transformed partnership over the last centuries, but particularly the last three years. When you think about this, this is a relationship that began in slavery, which President Biden has called the original sin of the United States, then went through the Cold War, when we were mostly on opposing sides, but then, since President Lourenço took office and since President Biden took office four years ago, it has really become a deep partnership and a really warm one."

"The Lobito corridor, as you probably know by now, is a massive and really ambitious investment"

"It's about investing in a responsible and sustainable way, ensuring there's inclusive economic growth, (…) including that there is contracting that is transparent and not corrupt."

"So that was that was a huge area of focus. Other issues they discussed included global issues such as democracy, how democracy takes constant work. Democracy is always fragile."

"Democracy and governance issues came up and are certainly something that our president did not miss an opportunity to talk about"

"President Lourenço has taken a really helpful leadership role in mediating the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. President Biden thanked him for that work. "

"We talked about President Lourenço's forthcoming chairmanship of the AU, which will start next year"

"China didn't come up"

"Russia came up briefly in the sense that there's a concern that with the war in Ukraine, there may be arms that will end up in the African continent, and that represents a risk security wise"

The SAO said that president elect Trump did not come up during the meeting but added: "Obviously, all these conversations we have are in the context of there is a transition coming. Fortunately, Africa policy has long been bipartisan, so while we obviously can't predict what the new team will do, we've seen a lot of support for investment projects from the other side, and we've heard good support from both sides of the aisle in terms of supporting Angola's leadership on eastern DRC. That was the only way it was even tangentially talked about "

Travel pool report #9 - Rolling to National Museum of Slavery

The motorcade left the RON at 4:39 pm and is now rolling to the National Museum of Slavery, on the outskirts of Luanda, where the president will deliver remarks.

Your pooler is being told it should be a 40 min drive.

Travel pool report #10 - Arrival at Museum

The motorcade reached the site of the museum at 5:12 pm.

There were groups of onlookers along the way, some holding umbrellas as it's still raining.

We drove through neighborhoods of tiny houses with metal roofs boarding dirt paths, concrete buildings and small shops, before reaching a less densely populated area near the water.

Pool has been led to a tent and is now holding.

Travel pool report #11 - POTUS getting briefing on the National Museum of Slavery

The WH shares this. Please note that your pooler is still holding under a tent and has not laid eyes on POTUS since we arrived at the museum.

President Biden is receiving a short briefing by Jacinto Vladimiro Teixeira Fortuna, Director of the Angolan National Museum of Slavery on artifacts housed in Angola's National Museum of Slavery. Dr. Lonnie Bunch, Secretary of the Smithsonian, is also joining the briefing. Specifically, the President is being shown:

1. Folk Instruments: Original folk instruments used by enslaved peoples, which made their way across the Atlantic Ocean and became integrated into the foundation of African American folk music in the United States.
2. Implements: Implements of abuse used by slavers to discipline enslaved peoples. A whip and flat-faced clubs.
3. Ankle shackle: An original shackle, preserved from the era, which was used to inhibit the movement of enslaved peoples.
4. Weights: Original relics, which were affixed to the extremities of enslaved peoples to inhibit movement.
5. Ship Models: Models of ships used by slavers in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Travel pool report #12 - Remarks starting

POTUS took the stage and started his remarks at 5:54 pm local time. The speech should be streaming live on the WH website.

Travel pool report #13 - POTUS concludes remarks

POTUS concluded his remarks at 6:13 pm as the sun was setting.

Some rough quotes but please check against transcript

"In the building next to us, slaves were baptized against their will, their names changed"

Slavery is "our nation's original sin, one that haunted America"

"It's our duty to face our history"

The president also announced 1 billion dollars in assistance for African countries facing historic drought.

"How we invest in Africa is just as important as how much we invest"

"I don't know what the future holds but I know the future runs through Angola, through Africa, I'm not kidding"

Per the WH

The President is delivering remarks to honor the past and future of the Angolan-U.S. relationship at the National Museum of Slavery.

Background:

Angola was the point of departure for an estimated six million enslaved people—approximately 45 percent of all enslaved Africans sent to the Americas.

The National Museum of Slavery in Angola was founded in 1977 to educate visitors on the history of slavery in Angola and to promote a message of harmony, humanism, and respect for human rights. The museum sits next to a 17th-century structure where enslaved individuals were baptized before being put on ships for transport to the Americas. The museum displays hundreds of items used in the slave trade and is located in the former property of Álvaro de Carvalho Matoso, one of the largest slave-traders on the African coast in the first half of the 18th Century.

Travel pool report #13 - Biden getting briefed on South Korea

On his way out after his remarks POTUS was asked about South Korea and said "I'm just getting briefed on it" according to AFP photojournalist Andrew Caballero-Reynolds who was standing close to the stage.

Your pooler was stationed far away and did not hear this comment.

Travel pool report #14 - Back at RON

The motorcade left the National Museum of slavery at 6:23 pm and was back at the RON in Luanda at 6:57 pm.

Sharing this from the WH about earlier POTUS engagements with civil society

Before his remarks, President Biden met with Angolan youth and civil society, several of whom participated in U.S. exchange and leadership programs:

• Manuel Afonso, Angola National English Language Teacher Association
• Chelsia Dala, Student, Catholic University of Angola and Study of the U.S. Institutes Leader 2023
• Imanni da Silva, Founder, "I am Trans Angola"
• Elizabete de Sa Cardoso, Postgraduate Student in Digital Law and Data Privacy, Escola Paulista de Direito, and Study of the U.S. Institutes Leader 2022
• Nicolau Miguel, President, USG Alumni Association and Mandela Washington Fellow 2019, Young African Leaders Initiative
• Bartolomeu Milton, Founder, Pro Bono Angola
• Margareth Emiliana Nangacovie, Human Rights Lawyer
• Joel Tchombasi, Leader of the Pro-Albino Movement and Mandela Washington Fellow, Young African Leaders Initiative

Travel pool report #15 - Travel photo lid

At 7:08 pm we have a travel photo lid.

Heartfelt thanks to copooler Vera Bergengruen

(WSJ) for the assist.

It was a pleasure being your pooler, have a great rest of your day.

Travel pool report #16 - Biden briefed on ROK

A WH spokesperson shares that POTUS was briefed on the latest developments in the Republic of Korea in the motorcade on the way back from the National Museum of slavery.

Travel pool report #17 - SAO briefing

This should be the last time I am spamming your inboxes today.

Here are a few elements and quotes from a SAO briefing on tomorrow's program. As always please check against transcript.

Biden will "be joined by at the port of Lobito by President Lourenço of Angola, as well as the presidents of Zambia and DRC as well as the vice president of Tanzania, they will tour the port."

POTUS will then visit a grain facility and meet with a number of leaders of companies that the United States has financed in Angola (Africell, Kobold, Sun Africa, Acrow Bridge)

After he visits with all these companies, the president will join a round table he is hosting with Lourenço, together with the presidents of Zambia, DRC and the vice president of Tanzania and with the CEO of the AFC (Africa Finance Corporation)

"My understanding is we'll likely make a financial announcement, financial commitment to the phase two of the project" (Lobito Corridor)

"The premise behind the corridor is to be able to take American support and financial capabilities that are admittedly limited and to focus them more deeply in one area, versus spreading that financial support and effort across many countries."

"The president is going to announce tomorrow an additional 600 million in financing for projects for the broader Lobito Corridor"

Asked about Trump administration: "I believe they will continue this project because it is good for American national security. It's good for American economic security."

"This is like, literally, a transformative initiative for the United States that I think it's not about whether the Trump administration is going to continue it, which I have very little doubt, but rather, I think this is the playbook for administrations to come."

"You can't stand up and say, I want to compete with China … and not support what's happening here"

"My guess is, by the end of the decade, you can have a really fully functioning rail that goes coast to coast."

"I think that the investment from the United States versus from others, it's not about more or less, it's about different. We hear a lot about others coming in with very large checks, build a lot of stuff, but that is with high interest rates on the debt, the terms are really difficult, and it doesn't come with any of the commitments to their society."