Pool Reports of December 9, 2023

WH travel pool report 1 — campaign day

Good morning from Beverly Hills, where pool is loaded onto vans and awaiting departure to the first campaign event. It is closed press.

There is a campaign fundraiser this evening in which print reporters will again be allowed in for the president's remarks.

WH travel pool report 2 — motorcade underway

The president's motorcade is underway at 1119 PST en route to the first campaign event.

WH travel pool report 3 — motorcade arrival

The motorcade came to a stop at 1145 after an uneventful drive.

The sidewalks along the route were largely empty. Most of those out waved to the motorcade as it passed. One woman held her out with a thumbs down; one man held a cardboard sign reading "FJ B."

Per the WH press office:

Traveling with the President via motorcade:

Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Mike Donilon, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President
Annie Tomasini, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President & Director of Oval Office Operations
Karine Jean-Pierre, Assistant to the President & Press Secretary
Vinay Reddy, Assistant to the President & Director of Speechwriting
Ryan Montoya, Assistant to the President & Director of Scheduling & Advance
Josh Geltzer, Deputy Counsel to the President & Legal Advisor to the NSC
Rachel Chiu, Special Assistant to the President & Chief of Staff for the Office of Political Strategy & Outreach

WH travel pool report 4 — departure from luncheon event

The president attended a "campaign meeting," per the WH.

The WH declined to further information about the event.

However, the meeting appears to have taken took place at a home on Burk Place in Beverly Hills, on which there are only five parcels. Cell service at the location was too poor to engage in bandwidth-intensive research.

At 1315 the motorcade is underway back toward the hotel.

WH travel pool report 5 — Norman Lear shiva

The motorcade stopped at 1320.

Per the WH press office:

The President is attending a shiva at the residence of Lyn and Norman Lear in honor of Norman Lear's passing.

WH travel pool report 6 — motorcade underway again

At 1336 the motorcade is again moving.

WH travel pool report 7 — return to hotel

At 1359 the president's motorcade returned to the hotel.

He is scheduled to remain there until later this afternoon until departure for additional campaign events.

WH travel pool report 8 — departing hotel again

President Biden's motorcade left the hotel again at 1518, en route to a second campaign "meeting."

That is to be followed by a fundraiser where reporters will be brought in for the president's remarks, although there will again be no audio or video.

WH travel pool report 9 — arrival at second campaign meeting

The president's SUV and entourage of vehicles arrived at site of the meeting at 1533.

Motorcade route again passed largely supportive pedestrians, mostly waving. One man holding up a Palestinian flag. Another holding up a flag reading "Don't blame me I voted for Trump."

Also, the previous pool report should have been 8. Apologies for any confusion who saw the pool note.

WH travel pool report 10 -- second campaign meeting location

Pool is holding in a glass-walled exercise house opening onto an asphalt tennis court. The campaign meeting is taking place in a home in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles that sold in 2018 for $15.6 million and which Redfin's web site estimates is now worth $22.1 million. It is a four-bedroom, 9-bath, 9,693 square foot house, according to Los Angeles County property records.

The WH press office declines to say who is hosting the campaign meeting and whether that person is the owner of this home.

WH travel pool report 11 — motorcade en route to fundraiser

The motorcade left the Brentwood site of the campaign meeting at 1702 and we're on the way to the final event of the day.

WH travel pool report 12 — arrival at fundraiser

The motorcade arrived at the destination just a short distance away at 1705.

Pool was led to a hold room overlooking an infinity pool.

WH travel pool report 13 — the setting

Pool was led to the living room of the home of Jose Feliciano and Kwanza Jones.

There is a small podium with a lectern and two prompter screens, two US flags behind, all in front of a black stone fireplace.

There are a few dozen guests in chairs facing the lectern.

There is a pianist playing Burt Bacharach.

WH travel pool report 14 — president on stage

After a welcome by Jose Feliciano and Kwanza Jones, First Lady Jill Biden introduced the president, who entered the room at 1747 and began his remarks.

WH travel pool report 15 — Biden remarks over

The president spoke for 15 minutes. Remarks very similar to last night, with a little more about how his policies have helped Latinos and Black people.

A few quotes to come.

WH travel pool report 16 — motorcade rolling back toward hotel

At 1821 the president's motorcade is headed back toward the hotel.

WH travel pool report 17 — return to hotel

The motorcade was back at the hotel at 1841. Uneventful drive.

WH travel pool report 18 -- lid

The WH press office announced a lid at 1848.

Watch for one final report with Biden quotes.

WH travel pool report 19 -- Quotes from Biden remarks at fundraiser

Please check these quotes against the transcript. The president spoke softly.

Biden began his remarks by listing what he considers his accomplishments, from efforts to combat climate change to funding programs to undo the effects of pollution in poor and minority communities to jump-starting high speed rail.

As he boasted about the rate at which Latinos were starting small businesses, a small child in the front rows piped up.

"That's okay, man. He's ready to start his own business. Don't worry about it. In our house kids rule."

He went back to his accomplishments for the Black and Latino communities.

"First black woman appointed to the Supreme Court, she's smarter than all the rest."

"We kept our promise to have an administration that looks like America."

"We're going to replace every single solitary lead pipe in this country."

Halfway through his remarks, Biden turned to his critique of Donald Trump.

"We know that all that progress is at stake in the next election."

"Donald Trump poses a lot of threats to this country. From the right to choose to civil rights, voting rights, to America's standing in the world."

"The greatest threat of all Trump poses is to our democracy. If we lose that, we lose everything."

"You may remember, on Jan. 6 Trump sitting in his private dining room off the Oval Office, for hours, watching it all unfold on TV. The mob attacking the Capitol Police, killing, desecrating the Capitol."

"Trump became the first losing candidate in history to refuse to accept the will of the people."

And he closed with warnings that for all Trump had done, particularly his behavior on Jan. 6, he was promising to be worse in a second term.

"He's threatening to use the American military on the streets of America to go after his political opponents."

He pointed to a recent interview with a Fox News host in which he had promised to be dictator but "only on Day One."

"Well, thank God for that," Biden said, making the sign of the cross on his chest. "Only for one day!"

Biden said the United States cannot afford risking having Trump in office on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

"All we have to do is stand up again. Stand up again and make our voices heard."