Pool Reports of March 10, 2021

Pool report #1: Good morning

Greetings from the White House, where it's starting to look like spring outside. I'll be your print pooler today. No changes so far to the schedule the WH sent out yesterday. What's on tap:

11 AM: Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and public health officials

1230 PM: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Special Assistant to the President & Coordinator for the Southern Border Ambassador Roberta Jacobson

3 PM: POTUS hosts an event with the CEOs of Johnson & Johnson and Merck

Feel free to call/text with any questions. (Mobile # below.) [APP redacted reporter's phone number]

Pool report #2: Lunch lid

WH just called a lunch lid until 1215 pm.

Pool report #3: Briefing pushed back

WH now advises the briefing has been pushed back to 1245 pm.

Pool report #3a: Briefing delayed again

WH advises it will now start at 1 pm.

Pool report #4: Two-minute warning until briefing

Issued at 104.

Pool report #4a: Briefing underway

Briefing started at 106 pm. It's streaming live online.

Pool report #4b: Briefing ends

Briefing ended at 222 pm.

Pool report #5: In place in South Court Auditorium

Pool was brought into the South Court Auditorium at 245 pm for the event with POTUS and the JJ/Merck executives.

Lectern bearing presidential seal is on stage with blue backdrops that read, "Expanding vaccine substance production," "COVID-19 Response" and "Accelerating Vaccine Fill Finish."

Awaiting POTUS arrival.

Event will be streamed on WH YouTube page so pls check forthcoming quotes against it.

Pool report #5b: teleprompter

One additional element of the setup that might be of interest: There is a teleprompter screen positioned about 20 feet from the lectern. "Good afternoon. I'm so honored to be here celebrating the landmark" reads the text on it now. As of 310 pm, still awaiting POTUS.

Pool report #6: Two-minute warning for POTUS

Issued at 335.

Pool report #7: POTUS on ARP and Thursday address

POTUS thanked Pelosi for passage of the ARP and said the bill "represents a historic victory for the American people."

He also previewed his Thursday address, saying he would "talk about what we've been through as a nation this past year. But more importantly, I'm going to talk a little about what comes next."

More TK.

Pool report #8: More complete POTUS quotes previewing Thursday speech and touting ARP

POTUS took the stage at 337 pm wearing a dark face mask. Toward the end of his remarks, he touted the passage of the ARP.

"I want to thank Speaker Pelosi and the House of Representatives for passing the bill that I will be signing into law shortly. This bill represents a historic, historic victory for the American people. I look forward to signing it later this week," POTUS said. "Everything in the American Rescue Plan address a real need." He said the bill would boost vaccination efforts.

He also previewed his Thursday address to the nation:

"Tomorrow night, I'm going in primetime to address the American people, to talk about what we've been through as a nation this past year. But more importantly, I'm going to talk about what comes next. I'm going to launch the next phase of the covid response and explain what we will do as a government and what we will ask of the American people. There is light at the end of this dark tunnel of this past year. We cannot let our guard down now or assume that a victory is inevitable."

Entire event lasted 15 minutes.

More TK.

Pool report #8a: POTUS quotes on surplus vaccines

After POTUS finished his prepared remarks, reporters shouted out questions at him, including "What will you do with a surplus?" POTUS responded to that one.

"Surplus will, if we have a surplus, we're going to share it with the rest of the world," POTUS said. "We've already decided we were going to work with [inaudible] COVAX, we've committed 40 billion dollars to help get the funding."

"This not something that can be stopped by a fence no matter how high you build a fence or a wall. So we're not going to be ultimately safe until the world is safe," said POTUS. "So, we're going to start off making sure Americans are taken care of first, but we're then going to try to help the rest of the world."

He didn't respond to any other Qs.

More TK.

Pool report #8b: Odds and ends from/color the POTUS event

POTUS spoke after the two CEOs, beginning at 343 pm. All three wore face masks when they were not speaking. POTUS lauded the " historic, nearly unprecedented collaboration" between the companies and underscored the move to secure an additional 100M doses of JJ vaccine.

The CEOs praised him and thanked him in their brief comments. The speakers read from the teleprompter that was positioned about 20 feet from the lectern.

Jeff Zients watched from the front row and POTUS mentioned him positively during his remarks.

JJ CEO is Alex Gorsky.
Merck CEO is Kenneth Frazier.

If you have any other questions on the event, just let me know.

Pool report #9: Travel/photo lid

WH called a travel/photo lid at 402 pm.