Pool Reports by Francesca Chambers, McClatchy
| Sent: | Reports: |
| July 15, 2020 10:49 |
In-town pool report #1: no updates Good morning, I'm your print pooler today. We have received no changes to the president's public schedule for today and no White House officials have appeared on television or gaggled outside. The president is scheduled to leave the White House at 1pm for his day trip to Atlanta. In town and out of town pool have been COVID tested in advance. I'll keep you posted on potential developments. |
| July 15, 2020 11:07 |
In town pool report #2: pool called The pool has been called to gather. No guidance on what for yet. |
| July 15, 2020 11:13 |
In town pool report #3: Oval Office Judd Deere sends along the following information about the president's Oval Office event, which is where pool appears to be headed. We are holding outside. The meeting referenced below was previously listed as closed press: Today, President Donald J. Trump will receive an update on the progress that Department of Justice and United States law enforcement agencies have made in their effort to dismantle, defeat, and destroy MS-13 in the United States. President Trump's Administration has undertaken serious efforts to bring the violent criminals of MS-13 to justice. As early as February 2017, President Trump signed Executive Order 13773 to direct a whole-of-government approach to dismantle transnational criminal organizations and restore safety in American communities. Under the direction of President Trump in October 2017, the Department of Justice designated MS-13 as a priority for their Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces. On August 16, 2019, Attorney General Barr created “Joint Task Force Vulcan” to lead DOJ and US law enforcement agencies in their efforts to destroy the MS-13. The following individuals are expected to attend: The White House Trump Administration |
| July 15, 2020 11:36 |
In town pool report #4: Trump talking Pool entered the Oval at 11:31 am. The president is at the Resolute Desk reading from prepared remarks about MS-13. Attorney General Barr is standing a few feet away on the president's right. Neither the president nor his guests, a few feet away on the president's left, are wearing masks. |
| July 15, 2020 11:48 |
In town pool report #5: POTUS took two questions, one on Fauci The president says he will be having a very "exciting" new conference next week on the cities that he says are "out of control" and "like war zones." AG Barr began speaking at 11:38, calling MS-13 a death cult that violently terrorizes people. He says he briefed the president on actions DOJ will be taking, including seeking the death penalty for an MS-13 gang member. POTUS responding said, "They're sick. They're deranged. And we're taking care of it." He took 2 questions. One on MS-13 and one on Fauci, who he says he gets along with very well. Please review the tape afterward for fuller remarks from the briefing. Q and A coming right up. At 11:45 pool left the Oval. |
| July 15, 2020 11:51 |
In Town Pool Report #5: Fauci question and answer Q: Are you OK with the op-ed Peter Navarro wrote on Dr. Fauci? A: "I get along very well with Dr. Facui." Q: Are you OK with the op-ed Peter Navarro wrote? "That's Peter Navarro, but I have a very good relationship with Dr. Fauci." |
| July 15, 2020 11:59 |
In town pool report #6: Lunch lid until 12:45 I sent two pool reports labeled # 5, consider the last one on Fauci #5a, lunch lid as #6. More comments from POTUS on the way in the next pool report. |
| July 15, 2020 11:59 |
In town pool Report #7: full POTUS response to question about the announcement on cities he previewed [APP Note: Report #7 was sent by the White House as identical to Report #6.] I sent two pool reports labeled # 5, consider the last one on Fauci #5a, lunch lid as #6. More comments from POTUS on the way in the next pool report. |
| July 15, 2020 12:59 |
Pool Report #8: awaiting POTUS Pool is gathered on the South Lawn, awaiting POTUS' departure in Marine One to JBA for his trip to Atlanta. It is a steamy 91 degrees, made better on this rare occasion by the artificial breeze generated by presidential helicopter. White House departure is scheduled for 1 pm. A group of about 20 guests and White House interns is outside on the driveway in addition to pooled press. |
| July 15, 2020 13:33 |
In town pool report #9: POTUS is outside talking He says that Tupperville and Jackson had "tremendous" wins last night. Touting his involvement in those races. On Fauci: "We're all on the same team. Including Dr. Fauci." |
| July 15, 2020 13:38 |
In town pool report # 10: wheels up The president boarded Marine One at 1:34 pm after talking to press for roughly 5 minutes on the South Lawn. It is taking off now for JBA. Fuller remarks from the brief gaggle once we're inside and pool can review the tape. Traveling with the president: Mark Meadows |
| July 15, 2020 13:47 |
In town pool report #11: POTUS on Navarro After the president was asked a question about coronavirus and said, "We're all on the same team, including Dr. Fauci," he was asked about Navarro directly. Q: Did Peter Navarro go rogue? A: "Well he made a statement representing himself. He shouldn't be doing that. No, I have a very good relationship with Anthony." More to follow. |
| July 15, 2020 14:17 |
In town pool report #12: POTUS Q and A Here is a fuller transcript of the brief question and answer session with POTUS at the departure. Please check against the official transcript and video. Apologies for the delay while I tracked down what the questions that were asked and answered were. Asked for his reaction to Alabama race last night and Sessions' loss: "I'm very happy that Tommy Tuberville won the race." Mentioning Democratic Sen. Doug Jones, Tuberville's general election opponent, he said: "We're not happy about him at all. I don't think the people of Alabama are happy with their representation in the Senate. And Tommy Tuberville's going to be a great senator. He was a great coach. "I spoke to another great coach last night, unrelated, and he said, Tommy Tuberville was a great coach, and he's a great guy. Someday I'll tell you who said that, but he's somebody respected." "It was a tremendous win for Tommy Tuberville last night. I'm very happy about it. And also a tremendous win for Ronny Jackson." He said it could be a "tremendous win" for Tony Gonzales, as well. "By the time I got involved, a lot of the early votes were already cast. But I got involved, really at the last moment. We think he can easily win that area. So, had two very good candidates, Reyes is a great candidate and so is Gonzales, but when I got involved a lot of the votes, early votes were cast, and it was a big comeback. It was a big comeback. And so that's going to be a very interesting race." He mentioned Jackson again, calling him both "Admiral Ronny" and "Doc Ronny" -- "We call him a lot of different things. But everybody agrees, they respect Ronny Jackson a lot." Question about declaring Antifia a terror organization (inaudible): "It could happen. It could happen. Antifa's no good. They're bad. They're bad people. And it could very well happen." Why do you want coronavirus data going to HHS first instead of the CDC (inaudible): Didn't change for me. Look, they're all on the same team. We're all on the same team, including Dr. Fauci. I have a very good relationship with Dr. Fauci. And we're all on the same team. We want to get rid of this mess that China sent us. So, everybody's working in the same line, and we're doing very well. We're doing well in a lot of ways. And our country's coming back very strong. "When you look at those job numbers, we've never had job numbers like we have right now. So it's coming back very strongly." Is Navarro going rogue? "Well he made a statement representing himself. He shouldn't be doing that. No, I have a very good relationship with Anthony." |
| July 15, 2020 14:27 |
In town pool Report #13: Video of POTUS remarks In his statement to the press before he took questions the president walked up and said: "The markets are very good. The country's doing well. Jobs are growing fast. We want schools to be open, and they will be open, and they'll be open, I think relatively on time, hopefully perfectly on time, most places." Here's full video of the four minutes and 30 seconds of remarks that he made to the pool. https://www.c-span.org/video/?473889-1/president-trump-peter-navarro-wri... That's all from me until POTUS' arrival at the White House in the 6pm hour unless someone else gaggles. |
| July 15, 2020 18:32 |
In town pool report #13: arrival The president arrived in Marine One on the South Lawn at 6:28 pm. He waived at press twice but did not come over to take questions. A photo of M1 landing is attached. POTUS entered the White House via the residence at 6:30 pm. |
| July 15, 2020 18:40 |
In town pool report #14: Travel/photo lid The White House called a travel/photo lid at 6:40 PM. Have a great evening, everyone! |
Pool Reports below by Todd Gillman, The Dallas Morning News
| Sent: | Reports: |
| July 15, 2020 13:53 |
Travel pool #1/Andrews Marine One touched down at Joint Base Andrews at 1:46 pm and pulled to a stop in front of Air Force One at 1:48. Light breeze. Partly sunny sky. The president disembarked at 1:50 and walked to the plane. He waved to the pool before climbing the stairs and again at the top and boarded at 1:51. Aides and VIPs followed. Wheels up shortly. Traveling with the president this afternoon for the quick visit to Atlanta: Mark Meadows |
| July 15, 2020 15:19 |
Travel pool #2/landed in Atlanta Air Force One touched down at the Atlanta airport at 3:16 pm after an uneventful flight. Taxiing. Fox News showed the scene of people waiting for POTUS event at the UPS hub at the airport ("Soon: Trump on Infrastructure") throughout the descent. |
| July 15, 2020 15:35 |
Travel pool #3/Atlanta greeting The president emerged from the door of Air Force One at 3:27 pmInto the somewhat steamy post-rain air of the Atlanta airport. Greeters are all in masks. Rep Doug Collins is wearing a red Georgia Bulldogs mask and matching res tied. No mask for Trump. Collins first bumped David Perdue, who was just behind Trump, followed by Sen Loeffler. Trump then spoke at length with Collins. The pool was hustled off just as Loeffler and Collins, rivals for her Senate seat in November special election, had a very brief interaction. Rolling at 3:31 for very brief drive past UPS and FedEx planes. THE PRESIDENT is met by: |
| July 15, 2020 15:53 |
Travel pool #4/UPS facility The president began speaking at 3:42 after very very short motorcade, and intro by UPS CEO Carol Tomé. The event is airing with about a minute delay on the White House livestream. It's also on CSpan. Air Force One is visible perhaps a half-mile from the entrance to the UPS facility. A brown UPS delivery truck is parked behind the president. He begins with coronavirus and how it should never have spread beyond China.Turns to infrastructure. The biggest obstacle, he said: "Mountains and mountains of bureaucratic red tape in Washington DC" "We went through years and years of litigation and tumult. It was just not good.... " except for lobbyists who would get rich. Tomé: “Welcome to UPS.... We are honored to be essential workers" who deliver hand sanitizer and medical equipment. Michael Jackson's "Billy Jean" was playing as the pool entered. The usual Lee Greenwood played as the president took the stage. Several hundred people are here. Masks abound. A few red MAGA hats. Most are in suit and tie-level business attire and it has the feel of a rally. Lots of applause. Shoutout by Trump for Sen. Kelly Loeffler: "A good person, a good woman... and she's been so supportive of me." And for Rep. Doug Collins: "An incredible spokesman, an incredible man." And for Gov. Brian Kemp, who managed to beat "a superstar" -- referring not by name to Stacey Abrams. And he asks if you can still be a superstar if you lose. Now talking about mail-in ballots and "There's been tremendous corruption on mail-in ballots." |
| July 15, 2020 15:54 |
travel pool #5/background on UPS event Today, President Donald J. Trump will travel to the UPS Hapeville Airport Hub in Atlanta, Georgia and announce the implementation of a new policy allowing expedited infrastructure projects across the United States. In the great State of Georgia, this historic action to remove burdensome regulations will expedite review of the I-75 lane expansion project, which extends from Metropolitan Atlanta to Macon, Georgia. The project will facilitate operations at the UPS hub by reducing congestion of commercial freight movements, adding new lane capacity to the interstate, enhancing freight mobility from the Port of Savannah and Florida, and promoting economic development along the corridor. Furthermore, accelerating this project will accommodate growth in commercial vehicle traffic in the region and support the future Port of Savannah expansion. Without President Trump's commitment to cutting the red tape, it would take more than seven years to permit a highway project like the I-75 in the United States. Under President Trump's new rule, the process will take less than two years. The following individuals are expected to attend: The White House Trump Administration Members of Congress External Participants |
| July 15, 2020 16:13 |
travel pool #6/Trump remarks at UPS hub facility More remarks from POTUS appearance at UPS facility on the edge of the Atlanta airport, in Hapeville, Ga. Lots of folks wearing brown UPS logo masks. The presidential lectern is set on a stage in front of a brown UPS delivery truck with the company logo and a map of Georgia on it. UPS shipping boxes are stacked along the side of the truck, up to the gold stripe, and on shelves between the truck and the dark pipe-and-drape. Trump remarks: "Today's action is part of my administration's fierce commitment to slashing the web of needless bureaucracy that was holding back our citizens. I've been wanting to do this from Day One, and we started it on Day One." “Today's action completely modernizes the approval review process under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969,” cutting the timeline for a major project “from up to 20 years or more, hard to believe, down to two years or less… and our goal is one year…. You're not going to devote a lifetime to doing a project that doesn't get approved.” “Two years won't be the exception. It will be the rule,” Trump said, adding that the new process will reduce the time for highway construction to get approved or disapproved by 70% or more, he said. “It's going to be very quick – yes or no, after study.” "This is front page all over this country," he says, though whether pooler's editors buy that remains to be seen. |
| July 15, 2020 16:24 |
Travel pool #7/Atlanta UPS facility - more A number of speakers, from UPS and Georgia government, lauded Trump's actions from a lectern set away from the president's. "Bureaucratic reviews under the Obama-Biden administration have been a disaster," Trump said. He called Gov Brian Kemp a great governor. He launched into a riff attacking Biden. Please review the tape, as pool was starting to be rousted to move just as this started. "Our past vice president opposes all of our permitting reforms," he said. “AOC and Bernie are in charge of energy. I don't think Texas is too happy about that,” Trump said, calling Gov. Greg Abbott – who is hundreds of miles away in Texas, as far as pooler knows – a great governor. Pool moving at 4:24. |
| July 15, 2020 16:38 |
Travel pool #8/aboard Air Force One in Atlanta After another extremely short motorcade, from the UPS hub at the Atlanta airport, the president boarded Air Force One at 4:33 pm. He waved from the top of the stairs. Chief of staff Mark Meadows boarded the back stairs with the press and indicated he will come back in flight to talk with us. Next stop JBA. |
| July 15, 2020 18:12 |
travel pool #9/Meadows gaggle Air Force One touched down at Joint Base Andrews at 6:05 p.m. Chief of staff Mark Meadows gaggle for 20 minutes or so near the end of the flight from Atlanta. Quick highlights, and more to come: Tiktok"There are a number of administration officials who are looking at the national security risk as it relates to tik tok, we chat and other apps that have the potential for national security exposure, specifically as it relates to the gathering of information on American citizens by a foreign adversary." "I dont think there's any self imposed deadline for action, but i think we are looking at weeks, not months." Navarro v Fauci Repudiate? Says he hadn't read it. Fireable offense? "I dont talk about personnel matters" Ruth Bader Ginsburg out of the hospital but would POTUS try to name a new Supreme Court justice if there's a vacancy before Election Day? On WHO: |
| July 15, 2020 18:22 |
Travel pool #10/ Andrews The president walked off Air Force One at JBA at 6:13 pm under a bright sun. He waved to the pool and boarded Marine One. The helicopter with the president aboard was wheels up at 6:19. Handing off to intown pool but I will review the Meadows remarks for more tidbits or quotes. We landed just a few minutes after the gaggle ended. |
Donald J. Trump (1st Term), Pool Reports of July 15, 2020 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/336668