Pool Reports by Jeff Mordock, The Washington Times
| Sent: | Reports: |
| February 21, 2024 11:42 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report #1 — Motorcade rolling Motorcade rolling to an undisclosed location at 11:41. Your pooler has not laid eyes on POTUS but did spot LA Mayor Karen Bass standing by POTUS limo. |
| February 21, 2024 11:57 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report #2 — Arrival Motorcade arrived at 11:54 at a strip mall in LA. It is unclear why we are here. The ride was uneventful and lots of bystanders filming the motorcade. Your pooler counted one thumbs up, one thumbs down and one middle finger on the ride over. |
| February 21, 2024 12:00 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report #3 — Location We are at CJ's Cafe at a strip mall in Los Angeles. It serves Mexican food and soul food. We've been told the restaurant was picked by Mayor Bass No sign of POTUS yet. |
| February 21, 2024 12:18 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report #4 — CJ's/Bass quote POTUS did not answer question about whether he needs a strong state of the union to win reelection. Instead, Mayor Bass jumped in and said, "He's going to win reelection anyway." POTUS and Mayor Bass shook hands and talked to customers at CJ's, which sits in LA's Baldwin Hills neighborhood. It was hard to hear. But POTUS asked one customer if he's ok. "Better since you are here," customer responded. POTUS also went up to a couple sitting at a table. He asked the woman, "Do you know this guy? Is he ok?" Lots of selfies, handshakes and hugs. It was hard to hear over the crowd excitement and restaurant noise. Motorcade rolling to our next location in Culver City at 12:17. |
| February 21, 2024 12:22 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report 4a — POTUS quote While posing for a selfie with a customer at CJ's Biden switched customer's phone to selfie mode. Customer expressed surprise that POTUS knew how to do that. "After the last guy, the bar's on the floor," POTUS responded. |
| February 21, 2024 12:33 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report -#5 Arrival Motorcade arrived at Culver City Julian Dixon Library at 12:31 Several pro-Palestinian demonstrators shouted at motorcade as it pulled up one screamed "genocide supporter." |
| February 21, 2024 12:37 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report #6 — Travelers Per WH, here is who traveled with POTUS to Culver City Library Traveling with the President via motorcade: Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff |
| February 21, 2024 12:49 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report 7 — Color/CJ's Order Per WH, POTUS ordered a breakfast burrito for lunch at CJ's. Your pooler tried to learn what kind of salsa was on the burrito but no information was immediately available. Some color from the event -- it's obviously about canceling student loan debt given the big huge "Canceling Student Debt" banner behind POTUS's podium. Also several of the book stacks have signs saying "Canceling Student Debt." It's a sparse crowd so far, signaling that there might be a bit of time before POTUS takes the podium. |
| February 21, 2024 13:12 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report #8 -- Two Minute Warning Two-Minute Warning to program. Here's a rundown of what you can expect The President will deliver remarks and announce that his Administration has approved $1.2 billion in student debt cancellation for almost 153,000 borrowers currently enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) repayment plan. Pre-Program Speaking Program |
| February 21, 2024 13:33 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report 9 -- Remarks end/POTUS qoute POTUS finished remarks at 1:29 PST. He spoke for roughly 10 minutes. When asked if he was worried this latest debt forgiveness plan would be struck down in court, POTUS responded, "I don't have a worry at all," Towards the end of his remarks, the muffled sounds of protesters could be heard, though it was difficult to hear exactly what they were protesting. However, a number of pro-Palestinian protesters have gathered outside the library and shouting at the motorcade. Pool escorted out at 1:32 |
| February 21, 2024 13:37 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report 10 -Rolling to LAX Motorcade rolling to LAX at 1:36 PST. Headed to San Francisco via AF1. |
| February 21, 2024 13:53 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report #11 — LAX arrival The motorcade arrived at LAX at 1:50. POTUS boarded AF1 at 1:51 as the press van was parked away from AF1. He was boarding by the time we ran to AF1 |
| February 21, 2024 14:04 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report #12 — Wheels up AF1 Wheels up at 2:04 Next stop — San Francisco! |
| February 21, 2024 15:00 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report -13 Wheels Down/Travelers AF1 Wheels down in San Francisco at 2:59. Per WH here's who traveled with POTUS aboard AF1 Traveling with the President aboard Air Force One en route to San Francisco International Airport: Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff |
| February 21, 2024 15:13 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report 14 — POTUS departs AF1 POTUS stepped off AF1 at 3:11. He chatted briefly with Pelosi and Breed. He walked to M1 with Pelosi and boarded at 3:13. Pelosi and Biden held hands as they walked together towards M1. Pool is now running to helicopters for to take us to a campaign reception Greeting the President upon arrival at San Francisco International Airport: Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (CA-11) Traveling with the President aboard Marine One: Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (CA-11) Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff |
| February 21, 2024 15:40 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report 15 - M1 touchdown M1 touched down at 3:35 on the other side of San Francisco. POTUS stepped off at 3:39 with Nancy Pelosi This time they walked arm-in-arm to the waiting Limo. |
| February 21, 2024 15:45 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report 15 - Rolling The motorcade is rolling at 3:43 to an unknown location for a campaign event, |
| February 21, 2024 15:50 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report - 16 Arrival Motorcade arrived at unknown location for fundraiser at 3:49. Your pooler is trying to learn more about where we are. |
| February 21, 2024 15:54 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report 17 - correction Your pooler accidentally sent two pool reports numbered 15. The second one should be treated as 16. The next pool report will be labeled 18 and that sequence will follow going forward. Your pooler regrets the error |
| February 21, 2024 16:01 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report 18 — event details The President is attending a campaign reception in San Francisco, California. Speaking Program |
| February 21, 2024 16:17 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report 19 - quotes Highlight — "we have a crazy SOB like that guy Putin but the existential threat to humanity is climate." Talked about Trump comparing himself to Nalvany "If I stood here 10 to 15 years ago and said all this, you'd all think I should be committed." Talked about Trump's influence on the Republican Party. Said GOP once had an "American moral center, but that seems to be lost." POTUS spoke for 16 minutes. POTUS thanked Pelosi, who is sitting in the front row. He called her "boss" and said they were able to pass some really significant legislation because of her. "She is the best Speaker of the House I think there has ever been. Thank God she was mostly on our side." "We have to do a lot more," he said starting his reelection pitch Talked about environment agenda. "I'm optimistic bc for the first time in this effort…." "I was involved with dealing in climate issues way back when my parents lived in Scranton Pa." He told the story about how his house in Scranton had a coal furnace and his grandfather didn't like him using it because he thought it was "a problem." Said Delaware was believed to have had the worst environment in the 1980s. Said growing up there is why he and his friends have asthma "We don't have to convince people anymore there is climate change." |
| February 21, 2024 17:07 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report 20 — full Putin quote It was hard to hear, but here is the full Putin quote from POTUS "This is the last existential threat, it is climate. We have a crazy SOB like that guy Putin, and others, and we always have to worry about nuclear conflict, but the existential threat to humanity is climate." |
| February 21, 2024 17:17 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report #21 — Rolling The motorcade is rolling at 5:17 to our next campaign event in San Francisco. |
| February 21, 2024 17:21 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report 22 — Arrival And two minutes later we arrived at the next campaign event at 5:19. Your pooler did not lay eyes on POTUS. |
| February 21, 2024 17:41 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report 22 — event details The campaign fundraiser is being held in a dinning room that is massive enough to hold 4 tables with 10 chairs each. Lots of very expensive looking paintings hanging on the walls It is at the house of Gordon Getty, who will be speaking later. On Behalf of the Biden-Harris Campaign: The President is attending a campaign reception in San Francisco, California. Speaking Program Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (CA-11) |
| February 21, 2024 | [APP Note: Report #23 may not exist or was not received by the APP. The reporter labeled two reports as #22.] |
| February 21, 2024 18:41 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report 24 -POTUS Remarks POTUS speech was largely a repeat of his remarks last night at a fundraiser. Two new things tonight On GOP Congress POTUS recalled being asked to give the eulogy at Strom Thurmond's funeral. "I told the truth. By the time Strom left he did terrible things. But by the time he left he had more African American in his staff than any other member in Congress. He voted to reauthorize the voting rights act. " "I'm not making him more than he was. But my point is at least you could work with some of these guys." "Time and again Republicans show they are the party of chaos and division." Trump and heads of state POTUS talked about meetings with heads of state "As I walk out of meetings, a head of state will find an excuse to come up close…and say "you've got to win." Not because I'm so special. "You've got to win because my democracy is at stake if the other guy wins. Nine heads of state have done that with me." Aristotle Introduced Biden, Pelosi read a quote from Aristotle about the middle class. As she turned to Biden, he said "I knew him well." The line received laughs. Cats When POTUS said Republicans are a "different need of cat" Pelosi shouted out, "Don't say that about cats." |
| February 21, 2024 18:42 PST |
Out of Town pool Report #25 — Rolling The motorcade is rolling to the RON at 6:42 PST. |
| February 21, 2024 19:01 PST |
Out of Town Pool Report 26 — Lid We have a lid at 6:59. It was a pleasure being your pooler today. Let's do it all again tomorrow! |
Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Pool Reports of February 21, 2024 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/369669