Pool Reports of June 26, 2023

Pool Report #1 - Updated Gather Time

Good Morning,

Per the WH Press Office

The gather time for those credentialed for the 11:45am event on broadband has been moved up to 11:15am (was previously 11:30am)

Pool Report #2 -- NSC's Kirby joining briefing

from the WH Press Office:

NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby will join Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at the press briefing today.

Pool Report 3 - Delay

Pool and credentialed media were notified that there's a delay to the East Room event...press office will announce when it's time to gather again at Palm Room doors....

Pool Report 4 - Gather

Press office called media to gather at 11:51am

Pool Report 5 — event attendees

From the WH:

The President and Vice President are kicking off the next phase of the Administration's Investing in America tour with a significant high-speed internet infrastructure announcement at the White House.

Attendees
Director Shalanda Young, Office of Management and Budget
Senator Joe Manchin (WV)
State broadband office leaders & infrastructure coordinators, state & local elected officials, civil rights & digital equity advocates, rural stakeholders, labor leaders, & private sector internet service providers

Speaking Program
Mitch Landrieu, Senior Advisor & Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator
Secretary Gina Raimondo, Department of Commerce
The Vice President
Jeff Say, father of three who has experienced the difficulty of limited broadband access in rural America
The President

Pool report 6 - 2 min warning

2 min warning for remarks....

Pool report 7- POTUS on Russia

POTUS started his remarks by addressing situation in Russia. Please check against transcript.

Said he was briefed "Hour by hour" by national security team and convened allies on a zoom conference.

"We made clear that we were not involved. We had nothing to do with it."

"This was part of a struggle within the Russian system."

"We're going to keep assessing the fallout of this weekend's events and the implications for Russia and Ukraine. But it's still too early to reach a definitive conclusion about where this is going."

Other notes from event>>>

POTUS entered the East Room at 12:06pm

VPOTUS Harris spoke first:

"Today 24 million people in our country do not have access to high speed internet, either because they cannot afford the monthly cost of a plan, or because they live in communities that have not yet been fully connected to fiber optic networks."

Jeff Say, a father of three from Virginia, spoke about the challenge of not having broadband access near his home.

"We have to drive our children into my work, to my wife's school or to our county library to finish projects, orhomework assignments. Every aspect of our daily life has now seemingly been touched by Internet access,

Pool Report 8 - More on Russia

POTUS on Russia

"To maintain our coordination I'll be speaking with the heads of state right after this meeting today, and making sure we're on the same page..."

"No matter what comes next, we'll keep making sure that our allies and our partners are closely aligned in how we are...responding to the situation. "

Said he was in contact with Ukrainian President Zelensky

Pool Report 9 - Question on Hunter

POTUS ended remarks at 12:26pm and left East Room shortly after.

Reporters along rope line shouted questions he responded to one...

Asked Whether he lied about his business dealings related to his son Hunter, he said "No"

Pool Report 9a -- clarification on question to POTUS

Full disclosure, your pooler was not in position to hear exact exchange between Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich and POTUS, but just as follow up she asked if he lied about never speaking to his son Hunter Biden about his business dealings. POTUS as we noted in last report replied "no."

https://twitter.com/jeffmason1/status/1673368365262405633

Pool Report 10 -- 2 min warning on briefing

2 min warning called at 2:04pm

Pool Report 11-- Lid

Lid called at 3:29p.m.

Stay safe and dry out there later today!