Pool Reports of June 3, 2024

Travel Pool #1 — Checking In

Hey all -- wanted to check in! The pool is gathered and swept near the lake house. We don't have any changes to report from what the White House sent last night, which I'll paste below for your convenience. We are expecting a gaggle on board AF1 from KJP.

4:55 PM THE PRESIDENT departs Wilmington, Delaware en route to White Plains, New York
Delaware Air National Guard Base
Out-of-Town Pool

5:50 PM THE PRESIDENT arrives in White Plains, New York
Westchester County Airport
Open Press

7:00 PM THE PRESIDENT participates in a campaign reception
Greenwich, Connecticut
Restricted Out-of-Town Pool

8:05 PM THE PRESIDENT departs White Plains, New York en route to Joint Base Andrews
Westchester County Airport
Open Press

9:00 PM THE PRESIDENT arrives to Joint Base Andrews
Joint Base Andrews
Out-of-Town Pool

9:10 PM THE PRESIDENT departs Joint Base Andrews en route to the White House
Joint Base Andrews
Out-of-Town Pool

9:30 PM THE PRESIDENT arrives at the White House
South Grounds
Out-of-Town Pool

Travel Pool #2 — Running late

Update -- You probably noticed we are running quite a bit behind. We were originally supposed to leave at 4:55 on AF1. We are still on the bus near the lake house.

No reason given at this point.

Travel Pool #3 - rolling

Motorcade began rollling at 5:09.

Travel Pool #4 - DANG Arrival

Motorcade arrived at DANG at 5:19. President loaded almost immediately after.

We are on AF1 and taking off shortly.

From the White House:

Traveling with the President via motorcade en route to Delaware Air National Guard Base:

Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Richard Ruffner, Assistant to the President & Director of Oval Office Operations
Ashley Williams, Deputy Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President & Director of Strategic Outreach
Marc Gustafson, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for the White House Situation Room
Jacob Spreyer, Special Assistant to the President & Personal Aide to the President

Traveling with the President aboard Air Force One en route to Westchester County Airport:

Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Anita Dunn, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President
Karine Jean-Pierre, Assistant to the President & Press Secretary
Vinay Reddy, Assistant to the President & Director of Speechwriting
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
Dennis Cheng, Deputy Assistant to the President & Deputy Director of Political Strategy & Outreach
Marc Gustafson, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for the White House Situation Room
Jacob Spreyer, Special Assistant to the President & Personal Aide to the President

Travel Pool #5 -- Landed

AF1 took off at 5:30 from DANG. We landed in West Plains at 6:16.

Gaggle lasted about 11 minutes. No news. Questions included Hunter's trial and its impact on POTUS, whether he was updated on it, the Ukraine Peace Summit, immigration EO, call with Mexican president.

Travel Pool Report #5 -- rolling

POTUS walked off AF1 at 6:28 and hipped straight into the motorcade. rolling at 6:31

Travel Pool #5 -- Landed (correction)

Your pooler issuing a correction: it's WHITE Plains, not West.

Travel Pool Report #6

Pool rolled onto a winding road around 6:42. We're at the Beechroft Estate and holding for about 30 minutes.

The campaign event is being hosted by former HBO CEO Richard Pepler.

On behalf of the Biden-Harris campaign:

The President is participating in a campaign reception.

Speaking Program
Richard Plepler
The President

Travel Pool Report #7-- prepared remarks

The campaign sends the following prepared excerpts for Biden's reception remarks, which hasn't begun yet:

Folks – the campaign entered unchartered territory last week.

For the first time in American history a former president that is a convicted felon is now seeking the office of the Presidency.

But as disturbing as that is, more damaging is the all-out assault Donald Trump is making on the American system of justice.

[...]

Folks – here is what is becoming clearer and clearer every day.

The threat that Trump poses would be greater in a second term than it was in his first term.

This isn't the same Trump who got elected in 2016.

He's worse.

Something snapped in him when he lost in 2020.

He can't accept he lost and it is literally driving him crazy.

[...]

Now he's running again.

And he's not only obsessed with losing in 2020, he is clearly unhinged.

Just listen to him.

He says he wants to be --in his words – "a dictator on Day One."

He says he wants to -- In his words – "terminate the Constitution."

When asked if he thought violence would occur if he lost again he said "it depends."

He calls convicted insurrectionists who are in prison now "patriots."

And if re-elected he wants to pardon "every one" of them.

Trump says if he loses AGAIN in November there'll be –in his words –
a "bloodbath."

My God what kind of man is this?

In fact just this weekend he said his MAGA supporters would reach a "breaking point."

[...]

Throughout this campaign Trump has made it clear he is running to exact for revenge.

Now after his criminal convictions it's clear he's worried about preserving his freedoms.

Travel Pool Report #8 -- Pepler remarks

Pool moved from the hold (a guesthouse) around 7:23. The reception was held in a tent near the tennis courts

Your pool spotted Gov. Ned Lamont, Chris Dodd, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Sen. Chris Murphy, Rep. Jim Himes.

Host Richard Pepler kicked it off. Thanked the host committee, the governor, Himes, and the two senators.

Says there are days he reads the news and "can't quite recognize the US Senate" and thanks the men for being in the Senate.

"This state and this country has not had a more distinguished public servant" and thanks Dodd.

Says he became a "Biden acolyte" because Dodd gave him the job of giving a prepared speech to the capitol to senator Biden, let Biden read it and bring it back to Dodd.

Staff elevators were broken, senate only elevators were working. Got in the latter and rode it to the basement where "four humongous capitol hill officers" met him. They told him to get off. Biden "as if from heaven" emerged from the Senate floor.

Biden asked what was going on and told the officers -- "This official senate business" and put his arms around Pepler and read the speech.

Adds an "addendum to Biden's "soul of America is at stake" -- adds the "heart" of the country is also at stake.

Introduces president.

Travel Pool Report #9 -- Biden Remarks

President Biden walked out at 7:38 to a standing ovation. President ended around 7:59

"Please have a seat."

Tells the story about the death of his wife and daughter dying in a car crash and he wanted to leave. A "senior senator" came to him and told him to stay for six months.

Gets appointed to two "important" committees. Says Kissinger was going to testify if we were going to stay in Vietnam. Showed up, had all "my questions prepared, Chris."

He got to the room and no one was there. Sprinted across the hall, "perspiring like hell." He turned to Pepler who stayed on the stage so we lost a lot of what he said as he finished the story.

It was hard to hear the full story but essentially people didn't believe he was a senator and he was pushed up against a wall by capitol police.

Thanks the senators, governor, etc who are here.

"Folks – the campaign entered unchartered territory last week. "For the first time in American history a former president that is a convicted felon is now seeking the office of the Presidency."

"But as disturbing as that is, more damaging is the all-out assault Donald Trump is making on the American system of justice."

Says trump now wants you to believe that it's rigged.

"Now he will be given an opportunity to appeal."

"It's wreckless and dangerous for anyone to say that's rigged just because they don't like the" outcome.

"The threat trump poses would be greater in a second term."

"Something snapped in this guy for real" after 2020. "it's literally driving him crazy."

Says Trump is "unhinged. Just listen to his rantings. He wants to in his words be a dictator in one day."

"He says if he loses there will be a bloodbath in America. What kind of man is this."

Abortion:

Says Trump is the reason Roe was killed. And he will be the reason it is reinstated.

Goes into gun safety.

Says Trump "told the NRA that 'i did nothing on guns'" Touts the gun safety legislation.

Prescription drugs:

"We finally beat Big Pharma"

"Now seniors with diabetes only have to pay $35" for insulin. "Cap on $2000 of all the drugs they consume"

"Not only saves people lives and money, it's saves the taxpayer" money every year.

Says in the second term, they will make sure "the $35 insulin will be for every single American."

Says Trump is "out selling bibles and golden sneakers ... Selling his presidency to the higher bidder." Says Trump told oil magnates he would "drill drill drill" if they raised money for him.

Attacks trump for Covid. "He must've injected it into his brain" about Bleach.

Goes into a litany of successes -- climate, high speed internet, black and latino unemployment.

"I know we have a lot more to do" on the economy. "Too many people, things are still tough for." Says Trump will cut taxes for the rich.

"Let me close with this. We made a lot of progress. That's why I need all of you."

"Polls are moving our way" Polls show half of independents" think Trump should drop out after being convicted.

Talks about his Normandy trip. "Democracy is literally on the ballot this year."

Hits trump for calling soldiers "losers and suckers."

"Losers and suckers! Who in the hell does he think he is?" He says getting louder than the rest of the speech.

Says about Trump: "This guy does not deserve to be president whether or not I'm running."

The ending was hard to hear because he was whispering but says in the end "this is the United States of America. We're going to do it."

Rolled out at 8:09.

Pool Report #10 -- airport arrivals/protestors/taking off

On the way from the event, pool saw a group of about twenty Pro-Palestinian protestors.

On the way to the event earlier this evening, there were small pockets of supporters waving at the motorcade.

Arrived at the airport at 8:20. The president walked up the stairs at 8:23, waved. We are taking off momentarily.

Dodd and Himes both got on the plane with us.

Pool Report #11 -- Traveling with Biden

From WH

Traveling with the President aboard Air Force One en route to Joint Base Andrews:

Rep. Jim Himes (CT-03)
Chris Dodd, Former U.S. Senator (CT)
Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Anita Dunn, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President
Karine Jean-Pierre, Assistant to the President & Press Secretary
Vinay Reddy, Assistant to the President & Director of Speechwriting
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
Dennis Cheng, Deputy Assistant to the President & Deputy Director of Political Strategy & Outreach
Marc Gustafson, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for the White House Situation Room
Jacob Spreyer, Special Assistant to the President & Personal Aide to the President

Pool Report 12 -- photoline

Also from WH:

On behalf of the Biden-Harris campaign:

Participating in a photoline with the President:

Governor Ned Lamont (CT)

Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT) and his spouse, Cynthia Blumenthal

Senator Chris Murphy (CT)

Rep. Jim Himes (CT-03)

Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz (CT) and her spouse, David Donaldson

Chris Dodd, Former U.S. Senator (CT)

On behalf of the Biden-Harris campaign: Participating in a photoline with the President:

Governor Ned Lamont (CT)
Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT) and his spouse, Cynthia Blumenthal
Senator Chris Murphy (CT)
Rep. Jim Himes (CT-03)
Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz (CT) and her spouse, David Donaldson
Chris Dodd, Former U.S. Senator (CT)

Pool Report #13 -- landed

AF1 landed at JBA at 9:16.

Pool Report #14 -- rolling

President Biden got off AF1 at 9:28. Your Pooler saw Himes and Dodd leave the POTUS cabin for a chat, they disembarked off the back of the plane.

We rolled out at 9:33 for the white house

Travel Pool Report #15 - WH arrival

Pool arrived at WH at 9:55 PM. we did not see the president go in the White House.

have a great night, everyone!

Travel Pool 16 - lid

lid was called at 9:58