Pool Reports of July 5, 2022

White House In-Town Pool Report #1 -- July 5th 2022

Zachary Petrizzo here with THE DAILY BEAST. Good morning from the White House, where we have hit the in-town call time for the press pool – ahead of an 11:00 a.m. gather (at the Palm Room Doors) for the 11:15 a.m. Medal of Honor event in the East Room. Briefing at 3 p.m. this afternoon.

White House In-Town Pool Report #2 -- July 5th 2022

Press has assembled and is now in the East Room ahead of the Medal of Honor event at 11:15 a.m.

White House In-Town Pool Report #3 -- July 5th 2022

Two minute warning on the Medal of Honor event in the East Room.

White House In-Town Pool Report #4 -- July 5th 2022

President Biden up in East Room for Medal of Honor event.

"Today, we're setting the record straight," Biden said before sharing each recipient's story with attendees.

A White House official sends the following along:

Attendees at the Medal of Honor ceremony include approximately 250 invited guests, including friends and family of Medal of Honor recipients, U.S. Army Military Leadership and previous Medal of Honor recipients.

Also in attendance:

The First Lady

Secretary Lloyd Austin, U.S. Department of Defense

Secretary Deb Haaland, U.S. Department of Interior

Run of show:

Major General Thomas Solhjem, Chief of Chaplains delivers the invocation

The President delivers remarks

Military Aide Lieutenant Colonel Raymond Roe reads the citations

Major Bill Yang presents Medals of Honor

Medal of Honor recipients:

Staff Sergeant Edward N. Kaneshiro (posthumous): for acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as an infantry squad leader with Troop C, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, near Phu Huu 2, Kim Son Valley, Republic of Vietnam, on Dec. 1, 1966. Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro and his team entered the village of Phu Huu 2 while on a search and destroy mission and were attacked by North Vietnamese. Staff Sergeant Kaneshiro destroyed one enemy group with rifle fire and two others with grenades, which enabled the orderly extrication and reorganization of the platoon and ultimately led to a successful withdrawal from the village. He served in Vietnam between July 18, 1966, until his death on March 6, 1967, as a result of a hostile gunshot wound.

Specialist Five Dwight W. Birdwell: for acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Troop C, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry Division, in the Republic of Vietnam on January 31, 1968. That day, a large enemy element initiated an assault on the Tan Son Nhut Airbase near Saigon. They disabled or destroyed many of the unit's vehicles and incapacitated Specialist Five Birdwell's tank commander. Under heavy enemy small-arms fire, Specialist Five Birdwell moved the tank commander to safety and fired the tank's weapons at the enemy force. Afterwards, he dismounted and continued fighting until receiving enemy fire to his face and torso. He refused evacuation and led a small group of defenders to disrupt the enemy assault until reinforcements arrived. He then aided in evacuating the wounded until he was ordered to seek attention for his own wounds. He was honorably discharged on December 29, 1968, and today practices law in Oklahoma City.

Specialist Five Dennis M. Fujii: for acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as crew chief aboard a helicopter ambulance during rescue operations in Laos and the Republic of Vietnam from February 18 – 22, 1971. During a mission to evacuate seriously wounded Vietnamese military personnel, Specialist Five Fujii's medevac helicopter took on enemy fire and was forced to crash land. Although injured, he waved off a rescue from another helicopter and remained behind as the only American on the battlefield. During that night and the next day, although wounded, he administered first aid to allied casualties. On the night of February 19, he called in American helicopter gunships to assist in repelling an enemy attack. For more than 17 hours, he repeatedly exposed himself to hostile fire as he left the security of his entrenchment to better observe enemy troop positions and to direct air strikes against them until an American helicopter could attempt to airlift him from the area. Upon completion of his tour, he joined the Army Reserve and today resides in Hawaii.

Major John J. Duffy: for acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as the senior advisor to the 11th Airborne Battalion, 2nd Brigade, Airborne Division, Army of the Republic of Vietnam, from April 14 – 15, 1972. Two days earlier, the commander of the 11th Airborne Battalion had been killed, the battalion command post destroyed, and Major Duffy was twice wounded. He refused to be evacuated. In the morning hours of April 14, after a failed effort to establish a landing zone for resupply aircraft, he moved close to enemy anti-aircraft positions to call in airstrikes and was wounded again, but still refused evacuation. In the late afternoon, the enemy began a ground assault from all sides, and Major Duffy moved from position to position to adjust fire, spot targets for artillery and direct gunship fire. In the early morning of April 15, after an enemy ambush, he led evacuees, many of whom were seriously wounded, to an evacuation area, where he directed gunship fire on enemy positions and marked a landing zone for the helicopters. Only after ensuring all evacuees were aboard, did he board as well, assisting a wounded friendly foreign soldier and administering aid to a wounded helicopter door gunner. Major Duffy's service included three tours in Vietnam in a myriad of Special Forces assignments. He retired from the Army on May 31, 1977, and currently lives in Santa Cruz, California.

White House In-Town Pool Report #5 -- July 5th 2022

POTUS & FLOTUS have left the East Room.

FOX NEWS' Mark Meredith asked POTUS on the way out if he plans to visit Highland Park after the shooting – Biden MUMBLED: "I'm not sure."

CNN's Jeremy Diamond also asked POTUS the same question, and there was no response.

White House In-Town Pool Report #6 -- July 5th 2022

A lunch lid has been called till the 3 p.m. briefing.

White House In-Town Pool Report #7 -- July 5th 2022

- The lunch lid remains in effect till 3 p.m. for the briefing. A Marine is posted up outside of the Oval Office.
- POTUS issued a proclamation – the WH flag has been lowered. (see below)
- Elsewhere outside the White House, vocal protesters could be heard near Lafayette Square during the lunch hour ahead of the rainstorm. Loosely assembled abortion rights activists roamed the area urging Biden to codify Roe --- while another group of anti-CCP demonstrators took 17th street by storm. " Stand up against China!" the permitted group yelled as they occupied and marched down the entire width of the street.

A PROCLAMATION As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of gun violence perpetrated on our Independence Day, July 4, 2022, in Highland Park, Illinois, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, July 9, 2022. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-seventh.

White House In-Town Pool Report #8 -- July 5th 2022

Reporters have begun to assemble in the White House briefing room for the 3 p.m. presser. Heading into the briefing, this MATT DRUDGE splash sums up today's topline news best: AMERICAN MADNESS…NATION'S 309TH MASS SHOOTING THIS YEAR…

White House In-Town Pool Report #9 -- July 5th 2022

The briefing has been PUSHED till 3:30 p.m….

White House In-Town Pool Report #9 -- July 5th 2022

Why does he type like this. Why

White House In-Town Pool Report #11-- July 5th 2022

Two-minute warning on the presser….

White House In-Town Pool Report #12-- July 5th 2022

The presser has started. WH Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Bezos: "As you know we completely disagree with Jeff Bezos…" Jean-Pierre dodged on Fox News reporter Peter Doocy's question on Hunter Biden: "I won't comment on alleged materials from the laptop."

"I responded to you," Jean-Pierre says on the journalists' penned letter re: WH press access – when asked by Salon columnist Brian Karem, "we are coming into a different place of Covid…we are trying to see what the next steps are…also a priority of ours…"

"We are going to continue to defer to the committee," on the ongoing Jan 6th committee hearings….

White House In-Town Pool Report #13-- July 5th 2022

The press briefing has wrapped up. Jean-Pierre: "The bipartisan bill is going to save some lives...but we need to do more work…." Declined to comment on Chad Meredith: "Not going to comment," she said from the podium, "it is an open vacancy…."

White House In-Town Pool Report #14-- July 5th 2022

A travel/photo lid has been called for the day by the White House. Have a great day.