Pool Reports of July 27, 2021

WH pool report 2 -- briefing now at 1245

The WH press office just announced the 1230 briefing will now be at 1245.

WH pool report 3 -- timing of Biden remarks via pool

For your timing awareness: The president’s ODNI remarks this afternoon will be recorded and released for transmission by the TV pool afterward.

WH pool report 4 -- 2 min warning to briefing

[APP Note: No additional text was included in this report.]

WH pool report 5 — awaiting departure

?Pool has loaded into vans on the South Lawn driveway for the drive to McLean, Virginia, the headquarters of ODNI.

WH pool report 6 — underway

?The presidential motorcade is rolling at 1343.

WH pool report 6a — actually not

We are not, in fact, underway.

More in report 7.

WH pool report 7 — actually underway this time

Revising and extending on report 6: We moved forward along the driveway, so that the presidential limo was up close to the west wing, rather than outside the South Portico.

At 1410 President Biden walked from the Oval Office to the car, and at 1411, we are actually rolling toward Virginia.

WH pool report 8 — arrival at ODNI

President Biden's motorcade arrived at ODNI headquarters in the Tysons Corner area of McLean, Virginia, at 1426 after an unventful 12-mile drive across the Potomac and up the George Washington Parkway.

The president is to meet with DNI Avril Haines and director of National Counterterrorism Christine Abizaid, and then tour the facility before delivering remarks to intelligence community staff.

There will be a report hiatus until we emerge from the building.

WH pool report 9 — Biden vaccine comments, nat sec remarks

The president took one shouted question from the pool about call mandatory vaccines for the federal workforce, and said that it is under consideration.

Please watch TV feed of speech and that answer, print pool could not record, and it was hard to hear.

Biden also warned of the dangers of a shooting war resulting from cyber attacks and that Russia is already interfering in the 2022 elections by pushing disinformation.

He spoke for 26 minutes in the auditorium.

At 1534, motorcade is rolling back toward WH.

From WH press office: The President toured the National Counterterrorism Center Watch Floor, accompanied by Avril Haines, Director of National Intelligence and Christy Abizaid, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center.

MORE QUOTES AND COLOR ASAP, but please watch video feed when it is transmitted.

WH pool report 10 — some quotes

The president visited the watch floor of the NCTC and spoke to a few dozen ODNI staff there, and then delivered 26 minutes of prepared remarks in the 200-seat auditorium to about 120 employees.

He talked about his recent summit with Putin, and how he only has nuclear weapons and oil and that's it.

"He knows he's in trouble and that makes him more dangerous. "

Biden told staff that disinformation is becoming an increasingly worse problem, and referenced intelligence that Russia is already spreading disinformation in an attempt to influence the 2022 midterms. (14 min into his remarks)

He said cyber attacks could one day trigger an actual "shooting war." (12 min mark)

He warned of climate changing causing instability around the world, including mass migration as people fought over "arable land." (17 min)

MORE COLOR TO COME

WH pool report 11 — return to WH

The motorcade pulled back into the South Lawn driveway at 1550.

The president walked directly into the Oval, accompanied by national security adviser Jake Sullivan and carrying a small briefcase. No questions.

WH pool report 12 -- more quotes from ODNI

From the watch floor of the National Counterterrorism Center, being given a tour and led by its director, Christine Abizaid (who told him: "It is serving exactly the purpose it was built for, which is to connect the dots.")

Biden walked onto the floor at 1435, pool was already there.

"I appreciate what you do. We don't thank you enough."

"You are the nerve center of the entire operation."

"Thank you for what you do. America owes you."

Pool was escorted off watch floor at 1442

From the building's auditorium, from his 26-minute speech, which began at 15:01:35

He joked to the 120 in attendance: "I guess you all are the ones who lost the lottery, huh? You have to come here and watch me in person?"

"I thank you for your diligence and keeping our country safe."

He wanted to honor and thank the agents, analysts and other intel professionals "whose names the public is never going to know" for their "eyes and ears around the world."

"I'll never politicize the work that you do. I give you my word on that."

Regarding Vladimir Putin, referring to his meeting with him recently:

"He knows that you're better than his team, and it bothers the hell out of him."

He told the audience that what he missed most during the four years between the end of his vice presidency and the start of his presidency was getting the PDB every morning. "And to the chagrin of many of you, I read it in detail."

Closed his remarks with extensive thanks to the intelligence community staff.

"We need your insight. We need your expertise."

"So much of the work you do is secret. So many times, you don't get the credit."

He said the American people don't know or appreciate the many times their work has prevented disaster and saved lives.

"But I want you to know: I know."

He finished his speech at 15:27:17, and then took the one press question about vaccine mandates.

COLOR TO COME

WH pool report 13 -- color from ODNI building

The ODNI building lives out in the Tysons neighborhood, and is decorated in a standard government office building fashion. Signs warning "MEDIA IN THE AREA" were arranged along our route up the stairs to the watch floor of the National Counterterrorism Watch Center.

The watch floor is arranged like a mission control room, with large video monitors on the walls, and digital clocks showing the 24-hour time in Los Angeles, DC, Zulu (UTC), Zurich, Pacific, Mountain, Central and Eastern zones.

There are dozens of desks, each with big Dell monitors, and a second level in the rear, accessible via a metal spiral staircase.

The auditorium was the ground floor, and had about 200 seats arranged in nine rows, some 20 seats per row, descending down to the stage.

The stage was arranged with a lectern, with a small presidential seal attached to the front. Teleprompters were arranged in front, left and right; behind it were 20 flags; one each from the 17 agencies with intelligence components, one for DHS. Directly behind the lectern was the US flag, and a dark flag labeled "United States Intelligence Community," with a compass rose beneath.

Some 120 ODNI staff were in the seats, skipping every other seat for social distancing.

Biden was accompanied by his national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines during his visit. When Haines introduced Biden for his remarks, she referred to the building as "Liberty Crossing."

WH pool report 14 -- Biden vaccine quote

The president was asked if a vaccination mandate for all federal workers was under consideration:

Here is his answer:

"It's under consideration right now, but if you're not vaccinated, you're not nearly as smart as I thought you were."

He was asked a follow-up question, in which he again urged people to get vaccinated.

The exchange starts at the 29:30 mark on the C-Span video, which is now posted.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?513730-1/president-biden-addresses-intelli...

WH pool report 15 -- lid

At 1709, the WH press office announced a lid for the evening.

Have a good blazing hot rest of the afternoon.