Pool Reports by Christopher Kane, Washington Blade
| Sent: | Reports: |
| July 29, 2024 12:18 EDT |
Pool Report #1: Gather for POTUS departure Good afternoon, We gathered at the Palm Room doors at 12:17 p.m. for President Biden's departure from the South Lawn en route to Austin, Texas. |
| July 29, 2024 12:49 EDT |
Pool report #2: Biden's departure As he walked to Marine 1, reporters shouted questions about why he's not running and whether there would be an all-out-war in Israel after the attack by Hezbollah. The president did not address these. His remarks were difficult to hear but the consensus appears to be that they concerned Supreme Court reforms. Marine 1 was wheels up at 12:48 pm. |
| July 29, 2024 14:34 EDT |
Pool report #3: Gaggle aboard AF1 at 2:40 p.m. EDT Good afternoon, The White House has shared that Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Director of the Office of Public Engagement Stephen Benjamin will gaggle aboard Air Force One at 2:40 p.m. EDT. |
| July 29, 2024 | [APP Note: Report #4 does not exist or was not received by the APP.] |
| July 30, 2024 01:33 EDT |
Pool report #5: POTUS arrival Marine One was wheels down at 1:20 a.m. The president remarked how late the reporters were out to greet him and answered a series of questions: 1. On his legacy for Gen Z, Biden touted his accomplishments for the economy and the environment 2. On his legacy for LGBTQ Americans, he said he was "proud," noting his early support for same-sex marriage during the Obama administration. Biden also relayed the story of when he was with his father and saw two men kissing and his father said, "it's simple, they love each other" 3. On when he would campaign for his vice president Kamala Harris, he said he did today 4. On who Harris should select as her VP, he said "we're talking" A more complete transcript TK |
| July 30, 2024 01:40 EDT |
Pool report #6: Lid We have a lid. Sending another pool report with a more complete transcript of the president's remarks after his arrival. |
| July 30, 2024 01:45 EDT |
Pool report #7: More from the president's remarks following South Lawn arrival Below is a partial transcript of President Biden's exchange with reporters after his arrival on the South Lawn: Q: What do you want your legacy for Gen Z to be?
Q: When are you going to go out and campaign for the vice president?
Q: Mr. President, how about your legacy for LGBTQ Americans?
Q: What do you think of the VP choices? Who do you think she should pick as VP?
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Pool Reports below by Ken Thomas, The Wall Street Journal
| Sent: | Reports: |
| July 29, 2024 13:07 EDT |
Out-of-Town Pool Report #1 - JBA Hello from Joint Base Andrews. Marine One touched down at 12:56 p.m. ET. President Biden emerged from the aircraft at 1 p.m. ET, wearing a blue suit and tie and aviator sunglasses. The president did not stop to speak to the press pool as he boarded Air Force One using the shorter staircase. There is a large contingent of lawmakers and civil rights leaders traveling with the president. Here is the list of travelers provided by the White White: Senator Chris Coons (DE) Staff: Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff Separately, your pooler also spotted other travelers, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, Marc Morial and Cecile Richards. We will be departing shortly for Austin, Texas, where the president will deliver remarks at the LBJ Presidential Library to mark the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, which was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson. Biden will use part of his remarks to call for reforms to the Supreme Court. He outlined his approach in an op-ed here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/07/29/joe-biden-reform-supreme-court-presidential-immunity-plan-announcement/ The Austin speech had been planned for July 15 but was rescheduled because the president contracted Covid-19 earlier this month. Biden announced on July 21 that he would not seek re-election. He became the first incumbent president to not stand for re-election since Johnson in 1968. Biden will travel to Houston later in the day to pay his respects to the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D., Texas), who died July 19 at age 74. We will be wheels up shortly. |
| July 29, 2024 14:49 CDT |
Out-of-Town Pool Report #2 - Arrival in Austin Air Force One landed at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at 2:47 p.m. local time. (AF1 was wheels up at 1:11 p.m. ET) White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and senior adviser Stephen Benjamin, the director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, held a gaggle with the press for about 30 minutes mid-flight. There were no other visitors to the press cabin during the roughly 2 1/2 hour flight. More TK. |
| July 29, 2024 15:24 CDT |
Out-of-Town Pool Report #3 - Airport Greeting - quick Q/a After landing in Austin, President Biden descended the shorter staircase of Air Force One at 3:03 p.m. It's 93 degrees and sunny here. The president was greeted by a group that included Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D., Texas), who was the first Democratic member of Congress to call on Biden to withdraw from the presidential campaign in the aftermath of last month's debate. Doggett represents the Austin area in Congress. Biden greeted Doggett with a smile and a handshake and then posed for a selfie with Rep. Al Green (D., Texas), who was also among the large contingent at the airport. As the president was wrapping up his exchanges with the group, he was asked about Speaker Johnson calling his Supreme Court plan being "dead on arrival." It was difficult to hear Biden amid the noise. "That's what he is," Biden responded, prompting the reporter to say, "He is?" The president responded, "He is. Dead on arrival." Biden was then asked how it would get through Congress. The president said they would find "a way" to accomplish it. H/t co-pooler Matt Viser of WaPo on the exchange. The White House passes along these greeters: Senator Chris Coons (DE) The motorcade is now rolling from the airport at 3:12 p.m. |
| July 29, 2024 15:41 CDT |
Out-of-Town Pool Report #4 - At the LBJ Library President Biden's motorcade arrived at the LBJ Presidential Library at 3:35 p.m. after a roughly 20 minute drive. As we approached the library, there was a small group gathered along the street, some waving small American flags and one man bearing a sign that read: "I The pool is now holding ahead of the speech. And an addendum to the last report; when the president was asked how he would get his Supreme Court reform through Congress, the pool believes the president said, More TK. |
| July 29, 2024 | [APP Note: Report #5 does not exist or was not received by the APP.] |
| July 29, 2024 16:12 CDT |
Out-of-Town Pool Report #6 - Opening remarks At 4:04 p.m., Mark Updegrove, the president and CEO of the LBJ Foundation, walked on stage to give opening remarks. He thanked actor Bryan Cranston for his involvement in the program (Cranston apparently spoke ahead of our arrival). "The walls of the LBJ auditorium once again echo with history," Updegrove said. Updegrove then introduced former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young, who sat in what appeared to be a motorized scooter. Young reminded the audience that Biden was first elected to the Senate before his 30th birthday. "For the last 50 years, he has devoted himself to fulfilling the dreams of the American people, all of them rich, poor, black, white, red, green, gay, straight, whatever we are," Young said. At 4:11 p.m. Biden took the stage. |
| July 29, 2024 16:44 CDT |
Out-of-Town Pool Report #7 - Biden's remarks President Biden took the stage at 4:11 p.m. to sustained applause. Biden noted his longtime admiration for President Johnson, whom he recalled saying, "In a great society, no one, no one should be left behind." He praised some of Johnson's key accomplishments, the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act, for being "remarkable in their scale and their scope." Addressing the current political climate, Biden said "extreme opinions" by the Supreme Court in recent years have "gutted" the Voting Rights Act. He decried the "extreme MAGA movement" and Project 2025 and called the court's ruling on presidential immunity "a dangerous precedent." "The court is mired in a crisis of ethics," Biden said of the Supreme Court, saying it has caused the public to question both the court's fairness and independence. Biden pointed to his long tenure on the Senate Judiciary Committee and as vice president, and now president. "I have great respect for our institutions, the separation of powers laid out in our Constitution. What's happening now is not consistent with that doctrine of separation of powers," Biden said. Biden then outlined the three reforms to the Supreme Court that he would like to pursue in his final six months in office. He spoke of his calls for a constitutional amendment that would curb the Court's recent decision on presidential immunity, term limits for justices and a binding code of ethics. "I believe the best structure is the 18-year term limit that would help ensure the country would not have what it has now, an extreme court," Biden said. "We need a mandatory code of ethics for the Supreme Court, and we need it now," he said. The president closed by recalling his early interest in the civil rights movement, remembering that he was studying for the Bar examination when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968. Biden then traced his path from work as a young lawyer in the public defender's office, to his election to the county council in 1970 and then an improbable election to the U.S. Senate in 1972 at the age of 29. He recalled a group of Delaware officials encouraging him to run for the Senate, remembering that while Richard Nixon carried Delaware, "We won by a staggering 3,800 votes. I didn't know what the hell I was doing." Biden closed by citing his role as vice president to former President Barack Obama, the nation's first Black president, and his work alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman and Black woman to serve as vice president. He said Harris has been "an incredible partner" who would "continue to be an inspiring leader." The president wrapped up his remarks at 4:37 p.m. local time. |
| July 29, 2024 17:02 CDT |
Out-of-Town Pool Report #8 - Photo line The pool is now holding. The White House says the following are participating in a photo line with President Biden: Senator Chris Coons (DE) |
| July 29, 2024 17:44 CDT |
Out-of-Town pool report #9 - motorcade rolling At 5:42 p.m. local time, President Biden's motorcade is rolling from the LBJ library in Austin. |
| July 29, 2024 18:13 CDT |
Out-of-town pool report #10 - Airport At 6:02 p.m., President Biden's motorcade pulled into Austin-Bergstrom International Airport after an uneventful drive of about 20 minutes. The president boarded Air Force One at 6:05 p.m. We will be departing shortly for Houston. |
| July 29, 2024 18:15 CDT |
Out of Town Pool Report #11 - Travelers From the White House: Traveling with the President aboard Air Force One en route to Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base: Rep. Jim Clyburn (SC-06) |
| July 29, 2024 18:52 CDT |
Out of town pool report #12 - Houston Air Force One landed at Houston's Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base at 6:50 p.m. after a flight of roughly 35 minutes. |
| July 29, 2024 19:17 CDT |
Out of Town Pool Report #13 - Houston arrival Houston President Biden disembarked Air Force One at 7:03 p.m. He was greeted by Houston Mayor John Whitmire along with Judge K.P. George of Fort Bend County and City Controller Chris Hollins of Houston. Biden smiled during his conversation with the local officials. At one point, the president grinned and wrapped his right arm around Whitmire during their chat. The president was then joined by the large traveling contingent of lawmakers and civil rights leaders on the tarmac. At one point, the president was in conversation with the Rev. Al Sharpton, Rep. James Clyburn and Rep. Al Green, who waved his cane at the pool before we departed. Biden took a photo with Sharpton and Clyburn before getting into his vehicle. At 7:12 p.m. the motorcade is rolling. The White House passes along the following: Greeting the President upon arrival to Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base: Rep. Jim Clyburn (SC-06) |
| July 29, 2024 19:46 CDT |
Out of Town Pool Report #14 - City Hall Houston President Biden's motorcade arrived at Houston City Hall at 7:45 p.m. after drive of more than 30 minutes. The president will be paying his respects to the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D., Texas), who died July 19 at the age of 74. Jackson Lee's body is lying in state at city hall. More TK. |
| July 29, 2024 20:15 CDT |
Out of Town Pool Report #15 - Jackson Lee President Biden walked into the rotunda of Houston City Hall at 7:55 p.m. to pay his respects to the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. He was joined by three members of Jackson Lee's family: Elwyn Lee, the husband of the congresswoman, and their two adult children, Erica Lee Carter and Jason Lee. Rep. Jackson Lee's casket was draped with an American flag and a large framed official portrait of the congresswoman was displayed near the entrance of the rotunda. The president placed a bouquet of flowers, wrapped in plastic and tied with a white ribbon, on a table In front of the casket. Biden then bowed his head in prayer for a moment and then blessed himself. He placed his hand on the casket and then stepped back to greet family members. He was joined by the traveling members of Congress and civil rights leaders who paid their respects to the late congresswoman and her family. Two large arrangements of red, white and blue flowers were placed alongside the casket and an American and Texas flag was positioned behind it. A single Houston police officer stood alongside the casket. As the pool was escorted out of city hall at 7:57 p.m., Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware stood near the casket and blessed himself. Biden later signed a guest book. The White House said this was the inscription: "Fearless, proud, and bold. May God bless a dear friend and great American. May God bless you, Sheila Jackson Lee." The pool is now holding in vans outside City Hall. |
| July 29, 2024 20:50 CDT |
Out of Town Pool Report #16 - Departing City Hall President Biden's motorcade departed Houston City Hall at 8:48 p.m. We are now rolling. |
| July 29, 2024 21:28 CDT |
Out of Town Pool Report #17 - Leaving Houston President Biden's motorcade arrived at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base at 9:16 p.m. We had a roughly 30-minute nighttime ride through Houston. At one point, Biden's motorcade sped along an elevated highway near Minute Maid Park, where the Houston Astros are playing the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight. Biden boarded Air Force One at 9:22 p.m. We will be wheels up shortly. From the White House: Traveling with the President aboard Air Force One en route to Joint Base Andrews: Rep. Jim Clyburn (SC-06) |
| July 30, 2024 00:54 EDT |
Out of Town Pool report #18 - JBA Air Force One was wheels down at JBA at 12:51 a.m ET after an uneventful flight from Houston. There were no visitors to the press cabin during the flight. |
| July 30, 2024 01:12 EDT |
Out of Town Pool Report #19 - JBA and back to the WH President Biden exited Air Force One at 1:02 a.m. ET and boarded Marine One. From the White House: Traveling with the President aboard Marine One en route to the South Lawn: Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff Marine One was wheels up at 1:10 a.m. Turning it over to the in-town pool. Good night. |
You Joe."
Kamala Harris, Pool Reports of July 29, 2024 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/373957