Pool Reports of June 15, 2024

Out of town pool report #1 - Wheels up for LA

Good morning from JBA, starting a new out of town pool report for POTUS trip to Los Angeles for fundraiser, following his return from Italy G7. We are rolling as of 3.41am after refuelling. Pool did not lay eyes on POTUS but Mike Donilon was spotted boarding at 3am. Will be wheels up shortly

Out of town pool report #2 - LAX arrival

Air Force One touched down at a slightly misty, pre-dawn Los Angeles International Airport at 5.04am after a four and a half hour flight.

POTUS, wearing a dark blazer, baseball cap and white open necked shirt, deplaned at 5.32pm with daughter Ashley Biden. He waved to the pool and then climbed into the Beast. The motorcade is now rolling.

The flight was uneventful and we had one visitor to the press cabin, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who gave a 15 minute OTR shortly after takeoff from JBA.

Following our earlier departure from Italy, a White House official informed us that the President did not attend the G7 dinner, and only stayed for the entertainment portion by Andrea Bocelli, because the G7 schedule was running late, and he had to depart to be back in US airspace in time for VP Kamala Harris to leave for the Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland. The official said other leaders including France's Macron and India's Modi had also missed the dinner.

Out of town pool report #3 - RON and morning/afternoon lid

The motorcade arrived at the RON at 6.02am after an uneventful ride of some 20 minutes through a largely deserted LA. The sun was rising over the hills and what LA traffic there was was held up by police on the opposite carriageway. Pool did not see POTUS at the RON.

At 6.09am, the White House called a morning/afternoon lid until 3.30pm.

Passing on from the WH:

Traveling with the President via motorcade:

Annie Tomasini, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Steve Ricchetti, Assistant to the President & Counselor to the President
Karine Jean-Pierre, Assistant to the President & Press Secretary
Ryan Montoya, Assistant to the President & Director of Scheduling & Advance
Ashley Williams, Deputy Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President & Director of Strategic Outreach
Curtis Ried, Deputy Assistant to the President & NSC Chief of Staff & Executive Secretary
Sheila Grant, Special Assistant to the President & Chief of Staff & Senior Advisor to the Deputy Chief of Staff
Jacob Spreyer, Special Assistant to the President & Personal Aide to the President

Out of town pool report #4 - Rolling from RON

Good afternoon from a sunny LA. The motorcade started rolling from the RON at 4.56pm.

Pool did not lay eyes on POTUS.

Out of town pool report #5 - arrival Peacock Theater

As the motorcade passed through LA, people stopped on the sidewalks of closed-off streets and on the balcony of a shopping mall taking pictures. One man held an Israeli flag soon after departure, while a woman held a picture relating to Gaza nearer the venue. After passing along several LA freeways, the motorcade arrived at 5.16 pm at the Peacock Theater where the fundraiser is taking place. Pool has still not laid eyes on POTUS.

Out of town pool report #6 - Theater protest and photoline

A line of black-clad police in riot helmets, with at least one carrying what appeared to be a less-lethal-munitions launcher, ran past the pool outside the theater towards a line of fencing. Pool photographers saw some protesters on the other side of the fence including at least one holding a Ceasefire Now sign, while your pooler could hear what appeared to be chanting or shouting. It was hard to get an idea of protester numbers as the pool was quickly ushered upstairs.

Before that happened, Biden's grandchildren Maisy and Naomi and Naomi's husband Peter Neal entered the theater next to the pool. There is already a crowd of people lined up inside the theater.

Pool is now being kept in a holding area.

Passing on:

On behalf of the Biden-Harris campaign:

Participating in a photoline with the President and President Barack Obama:

Governor Gavin Newsom (CA)
Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-36)
Rep. Joe Neguse (CO-2)
Rep. Maxine Waters (CA-43)
Rep. Grace Napolitano (CA-31)
Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-2)
Rep. Julia Brownley (CA-26)
Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24)
Rep. Raul Ruiz (CA-25)
Rep. Mark Takano (CA-39)
Rep. Tony Cardenas (CA-29)
Rep. Nanette Barragán (CA-44)
Rep. Sara Jacobs (CA-51)
Rep. Robert Garcia (CA-42)
Mayor Karen Bass, Los Angeles, California

Out of town pool report #7 - POTUS on stage

Pool was escorted into the auditorium just as singer Sheryl Lee Ralph was finishing up and getting a round of applause. Two enormous Biden Harris video signs are on either side of the stage, which is backed with a blue curtain and has a live band playing.

Actors Jason Bateman and Kathryn Hahn took the stage with a joke about Donald Trump only having seen wife Melania once in the last three years, before introducing 'Jimmy Fucking Kimmel'.

Kimmel took the stage in a blue suit and white shirt, and told a few jokes while standing next to three blue and gold armchairs where he will host the conversation between POTUS and Barack Obama. He referenced previous guests including Barbra Streisand and Jack Black.

After mocking Trump for being a 'stable genius' he said 'He said it himself and the President has his work cut out for him and the fact is, and I know an increasingly large number of people don't seem to care about facts. But the fact is President Biden has accomplished a great deal over the past three years'

POTUS and Obama then took the stage to a standing ovation with whoops and cheers. Both wore dark suits with open neck white shirts.

More tk

Out of town pool report #8 - POTUS on SCOTUS, other quotes

Biden was forceful when the discussion turned to abortion and the Supreme Court. As ever please check against transcript.

"The next president is likely to have two new Supreme Court nominees…

"The idea that if he's reelected he's going to appoint two more flying flags upside down."

Kimmel asked if that was the scariest part of a second Trump term

Biden: "I think it is one of the scariest parts

This has never been a court that's so far out of step

You had Clarence Thomas talking about how there were other things we should consider including in vitro fertilsations"

Crowd member shouted about gay rights too, and Biden said 'not on my watch'

On other subjects, Kimmel said to Biden he'd previously said he wanted to restore the soul of America and 'it looks like we might need an exoricism - is that why you visited the pope?"

Biden replied in response that there was "so much opportunity to just lie."

"I just came back from the G7 all the European countries…

"We're in a situation where I promise you, not because of me but because of America, they have enormous faith in America.

"There's not a damn thing we can't do when we set our mind to do it together."

Obama on Trump:

"And it's a reminder that we don't have to just vote against something in this election.

"We have someone to worry about. And there's a whole agenda that we should be concerned about. But we can take pride in affirming the extraordinary work that Joe has done."

Kimmel asked if the US had "Trump amnesia", describing it as "like a colonoscopy" that people know is there but want to forget

Biden: "Remember the pandemic, he said just don't worry just inject a little bleach."

Kimmel: "It worked for me."

Biden: "It worked for him (Trump), it colored his hair." More tk

Out of town pool report #9 - rolling from theater

The event wrapped up after around 35 minutes. More quotes and color to come shortly but the motorcade is now rolling from the theater. Pool did not lay eyes on POTUS

Passing this on:

On behalf of the Biden-Harris campaign:

The President, the First Lady and President Barack Obama are participating in a campaign reception:

Pre-Program
George Clooney and Julia Roberts
Sista Strings perform 'Lift Every Voice'
Barbra Streisand
The First Lady
The Silhouettes
Jack Black
Sheryl Lee Ralph
Jason Bateman and Kathryn Hahn

Program
The President, President Barack Obama and Jimmy Kimmel

Out of town pool report #10 - return to RON and lid

The motorcade returned to the RON at 8.53pm after a swift but uneventful drive through nighttime LA. Pool didn't lay eyes on POTUS.

The White House called a lid at 9.03pm.

One final report to follow with more fundraiser quotes.

Out of town pool report #11 - more fundraiser quotes

A final set of quotes from the fundraiser. Worth saying that the audience was lively and interactive throughout, applauding, laughing and cheering.

Biden on Trump and election:

"Institutions matter. What he did on January 6, and now he's literally saying if he doesn't win there'll be a bloodbath. It's outrageous, what he's talking about is outrageous."

Obama on Trump:

"We've normalized behavior that used to be disqualified.

"We have the spectacle of the nominee of one of the two major parties siting in court and being convicted by a jury of his peers on 34 counts. His foundation is no allowed to operate because it was engaging in monkey business. You have his organisation being prosecuted for not paying taxes."

Biden interjected "He paid none."

Obama then reached out to "those who are conservatively predisposed" who don't agree with him or Biden but believed in "basic honesty."

"There are certain standards and values we should stand for.

They also discussed healthcare, with Jimmy Fallon describing how his son had undergone three heart surgeries and calling the Affordable Care Act and "incredible achievement".

Plenty of light hearted moments, with Obama landing the majority but Biden landing a few too.

When Kimmel asked what do to in case of a second Trump term: "What are some things a president can do to, let's say, a talk show host who has been making fun of him every single night?"

Biden: "Ever heard of Delta Force?"

On a more serious note he added: "The idea that he's actually threatened retribution. This is the United States of America. Did you ever think you'd ever, ever ever hear anything like this? Retribution, that's what he's going to do, he's going to get back at people… I don't want to get going."

Obama on Trump saying he's done more for Black people than any president apart from Abraham Lincoln:

"One thing he did for example was make them feel even better about the first black president."

Kimmel asked which of Obama's daughters Malia and Sasha would make a better president. Obama deflected the question by saying Michelle Obama had driven into them that they would be 'crazy to go into politics.' Biden then remarked that his granddaughters Finnegan and Maisy were Malia and Sasha's two closest friends, having attended the same school, and that his "number three granddaughter just got back after spending a month in your place Hawaii."

Kimmel made a joke about Biden giving his son a soft toy of Commander the dog 'and it bit his toe off'. POTUS didn't respond.

As the conversation wrapped up, the three men stood up and Biden stood center stage for several seconds while the audience applauded. Obama patted him on the back and then led him off stage with a hand on his back, followed by Kimmel, while the band played the U2 song 'Beautiful Day.'

Thanks and goodnight.