Pool Reports by Katie Rogers, The New York Times
| Sent: | Reports: |
| January 20, 2023 09:36 |
In-town pool report #1 - Lid and schedule Good morning. The White House has called a "brunch lid" until 12:30 p.m. Schedule today: 1 p.m.: Press briefing 2 p.m.: U.S. Conference of Mayors event in the East Room 5:25 p.m.: POTUS departs for Rehoboth |
| January 20, 2023 12:09 |
In-town pool report #2: Kirby guest stars From the WH: "NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby will join Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at the press briefing today." |
| January 20, 2023 13:13 |
In-town pool report #3: Two-minute warning for briefing [APP Note: No additional text was included in this report.] |
| January 20, 2023 13:54 |
In-town pool report #4: Pool is gathering for mayor event, but briefing is ongoing [APP Note: No additional text was included in this report.] |
| January 20, 2023 14:25 |
In-town pool report #5: Event begins The Conference of Mayors event began with POTUS taking the stage with Francis X. Suarez, mayor of Miami and president of the conference, at 2:20 pm. Suarez opened with a joke about being a mayor and how it is a worse job than being the president, which got a laugh from the president. Have asked for a list of attendees but some bold names: Karen Bass, Muriel Bowser, (former mayor) Pete Buttigieg, John Podesta, Keisha Lance Bottoms, several selfies between mayors and Mitch Landrieu. Thanks to Emily Goodin and Ken Thomas for helping scan the room! The event will be live streamed: |
| January 20, 2023 15:29 |
In-town pool report #6: Event ends, brief question on Ukraine POTUS began speaking at 2:31 pm with a conga line of jokes about regional accents, his time in local government and marrying above his station. His microphone was turning on and off throughout his speech but he kept speaking throughout. In the end, he delivered lengthy comments for the better part of an hour, and took two questions from attendees. He stopped at the very end to briefly to answer a question on the Russian invasion and deliberations among US allies to send tanks. "Ukraine is going to get all the help they need." Thanks to Josh Wingrove for catching audio. POTUS did not respond to a question from Josh on whether he would meet with Speaker McCarthy soon. Event color: POTUS focused much of an initial speech on public safety and the need to assist people suffering from mental health issues, equipping first responders to respond to fentanyl overdoses. "When it comes to public safety, we know the answer is not to defund the police," POTUS told the group at one point, to applause. "They need funding and they need ancillary help as well." He said that several senior advisers and cabinet officials (Fudge, Vilsack, Buttigieg) were former mayors, praising several of them for their understanding of a range of issues facing Americans, ranging from food instability to affordable housing. "While folks continue to recover, we are also rebuilding," he told the group. He touted several major infrastructure-related programs, including the Brent Spence Bridge that connects Kentucky and Ohio, and said his administration was focused on helping train people on vocations that do not require four-year degrees. Several mayors cheered or whooped, and one called out "thank you," as the president ran down a long list of initiatives, including the CHIPS Act and the first major gun control bill in decades. "We're going to ban assault weapons," he said to applause. He said that he wanted to work with Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. He said Republicans have found immigration to be a better program to campaign on than one to solve. "I'm committed to continuing this work with all of you but I need you badly," he added. He explained that while he wasn't planning on running again — and he joked that some in the crowd were looking at him and thinking "why the hell didn't you follow your instinct?" — he said he ran because he wanted to restore the soul of America, rebuild the American economy and unite the country. (That last one, he said, has turned out to be the hardest.) He received a standing ovation when he emphasized "We are the United States of America. There's nothing we can't do." The White House opened the event to questions from the group. The mayor of St Louis asked what they could do to prepare people for the future bring more high quality jobs to American cities. The president delivered a 10-minute answer on the national debt, the need to raise taxes for the wealthy, the importance of training police officers and ended with "I hope I answered your question." The next question was about the grief the president has experienced in his life and what he'd say to Americans who have gone through a lot. He spoke about how a tractor-trailer collision killed his first wife, Neilia, and their infant daughter. He spoke about his son Beau, who died from a battle with cancer in 2015, and reiterated his belief that his son should've been president. He said he was lucky to have support. "You know what? I had family. I had an incredible wife. No man deserves one great love, let alone two." He praised his sister, Valerie, "my best friend in the world," for moving in to help raise his sons in the months after the collision. He said he was able to commute back and forth to the Capitol from Wilmington because his mother helped watch the kids. "I had so much help. And I had psychological help." He said that over 1 million people have died from the coronavirus and that the people left behind need support. "We have to take the stigma off of mental health. Mental health is no different than breaking your arm or your leg. It really isn't." Check quotes against transcript and live stream. The event concluded at 3:21 pm with the president noting that he talks too much. Next up is the president's departure to Rehoboth, scheduled for 5:25 pm. |
| January 20, 2023 15:38 |
In-town pool report #7: DINNER LID til 5 p.m. + event background See below -- The President will welcome bipartisan mayors attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting to the White House and deliver remarks celebrating the achievements of the past 18 months. Run of Show: Expected Attendees:
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| January 20, 2023 17:37 |
In-town pool report #8: Gathering for departure [APP Note: No additional text was included in this report.] |
| January 20, 2023 17:56 |
In-town pool report #9: Departure - A smiling POTUS came out of the White House at 5:40 pm to greet some staffers and supporters assembled behind a rope line. As he took selfies and shook hands, the president, who has been in office for two years today, drifted further and further away from journalists shouting questions, with his rope-line supporters cheering to drown out the shouting, until everything was drowned out by the thunderous engines of Marine One. He eventually boarded M1, which lifted off into a dusky purple Washington sky at 5:53 pm. |
Pool Reports below by Alex Gangitano, The Hill
| Sent: | Reports: |
| January 20, 2023 19:18 |
Travel pool report #1- arrival Hi from Rehoboth- I'll be your travel pooler this weekend! President Biden was wheels down at Gordon's Pond in Rehoboth at 6:39pm. Pool could barely see him getting into the motorcade and we are rolling as of 6:45pm. |
| January 20, 2023 19:27 |
Travel pool report #2- lid And, we have a lid. Good night all. |
Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Pool Reports of January 20, 2023 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/359425