Pool Reports of March 12, 2024

In-town pool report #1 - Schedule

Hello everyone,

I'll be your pooler for today.

The schedule:

10:00 AM THE PRESIDENT receives the Presidential Daily Briefing
Closed Press

11:15 AM THE PRESIDENT departs the White House en route to the Teamsters Headquarters
South Grounds
In-Town Travel Pool (Gather 11:05 AM – Palm Room Doors)

12:00 PM THE PRESIDENT participates in a campaign meeting with Teamsters members
Teamsters Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
Closed Press

1:15 PM THE PRESIDENT departs en route to the White House
Teamsters Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
In-Town Travel Pool

4:00 PM THE PRESIDENT holds a bilateral meeting with President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland
East Room
In-House Pool Spray (Gather 3:45 PM – Palm Room Doors)

Briefing Schedule

EST

1:30 PM Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan

In-town pool report #2 - POTUS departs for Teamsters

POTUS departed the White House at 11:33 with the motorcade heading to the Teamsters HQ.

Your pooler spotted POTUS in a blue suit.

The motorcade is now underway with a slight delay.

The meeting was expected to begin at 12 pm.

In-twin pool #3 - Biden arrival and travelers

POTUS arrived at the Teamsters HQ at 11:42.

Pool fox not see him head inside.

From a White House official:

Traveling with the President in the motorcade en route to the Teamsters headquarters:

Secretary Marty Walsh, former Secretary of Labor
Annie Tomasini, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Steve Ricchetti, Assistant to the President & Counselor to the President
Vinay Reddy, Assistant to the President & Director of Speechwriting
Ryan Montoya, Assistant to the President & Director of Scheduling & Advance
Olivia Dalton, Deputy Assistant to the President & Principal Deputy Press Secretary
Ashley Williams, Deputy Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President & Director of Strategic Outreach
Dilpreet Sidhu, Special Assistant to the President & NSC Deputy Chief of Staff

In-Town pool #4 - POTUS departs Teamsters

POTUS departed the Teamsters HQ at around 12:47, heading back to the White House.

The pool did not see Biden leaving the building, but the motorcade is now underway.

In-Town pool #5- POTUS back at WH

POTUS arrived at the White House at 12:54 and went into the Oval Office.

Sent from a White House official about Biden's meeting at Teamsters:

On behalf of the Biden-Harris Campaign:

The President is participating in a campaign meeting with Teamsters members.

In-Town pool #6- Two minute warning

Two minute warning for briefing with Karine Jean-Pierre and Jake Sullivan.

In-Town pool #7- Briefing ends

The White House briefing ended at 2:46.

Karine Jean-Pierre said the White House Counsel's office would hold a gaggle at the sticks at the conclusion of the Robert Hur testimony.

In-Town pool #8- Biden-Duda-Tusk spray

Pool entered the East Room and POTUS was already seated with the American delegation, across from Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

POTUS spoke first, highlighting that Poland joined NATO 25 years ago today.

Biden then recalled a quote from Madeleine Albright -- "When we stand together, no force on earth is more powerful."

"I believed that then, and I believe it now," Biden said of the Albright quote.

POTUS then spoke about Poland spending 4% of their GDP on defense.

"That is double the NATO commitment -- 4%," Biden said of Poland's defense expenditure.

He then spoke about Poland admitting about 1 million Ukrainian refugees into their country.

POTUS also spoke about the $300 million dollar package his admin announced today for Ukraine.

"It's not nearly enough what we are announcing today," Biden said of the package.

"Congress must pass the bipartisan national security bill now," Biden said, calling on Congress to act "before it's too late."

"As Poland remembers, Russia won't stop at Ukraine. Puting will keep going."

Duda spoke second, starting with the same fact about Poland joining NATO 25 years ago, and thanked Biden for being one of the senators in the Senate back in the day who supported Poland coming into NATO.

"Russia's aggression against Ukraine" demonstrated that the United States is "the security leader," Duda said.

He then called on NATO members to increase their GDP defense percentage expenditure from 2 to 3%, and said the meeting is intended to deepen bilateral relations between the U.S. and Poland.

Tusk spoke third.

"You never forgot why NATO was established," he said of Biden.

Tusk also said Biden's "campaign four years ago was inspirational for me and for so many poles."

Biden finished off the meeting, saying "America's commitment to Poland is iron clad."

He did not take questions and pool was quickly ushered out.

In-Town pool #9- Ian Sams coming to sticks

Spokesman for the White House Counsel's Office Ian Sams will go to the sticks at 4:15 PM.

In-Town pool #10- Ian Sams quotes

White House Counsel Ian Sams stood at the sticks and answered questions from the press for about 13 minutes.

Here are some top lines:

Sams: "I think the main thing to take away from today is two words for the American people: Case closed."

"We sat for three hours watching on live television on many of your networks. Hours of explanation of why a Trump appointed prosecutor, who spent 15 months investigating the President came to the obvious conclusion that there is no case here. After all, this time, the millions of pages of records that had been reviewed 150 Witnesses have been interviewed. The conclusion was simple that there is no case here, the case is closed. It's time to move on. House Republicans tried to make it a big deal. They want to attack the president politically. They're making it very obvious that they're trying to help the former president. And it's a failure. We need to work on the things that actually matter for the American people. We need to work on getting aid to Ukraine, we need to work on securing our border. We need to work on a spending package that avoids a shutdown next week."

On if Hur is acting like a partisan player:

Sams said Hur "Made some inappropriate comments about the President and his report that do not match up with the transcript that now of that interview that now every American can see for themselves. I think that the investigation that lasted 15 months came to the obvious conclusion that there was no case to be made here. That the evidence doesn't back up bringing any charges. That's what you found. That's the result of this investigation. Even a Republican prosecutor found that and told House Republicans that and so this case is closed."

On if Biden committed any wrongdoing, given the White House is claiming the case is closed:

"In America, we do have the presumption of innocence and when a prosecutor spends 15 months investigating a case, only to determine that there is no case here and that there will be no charge, and that the case is closed. It only affirms the innocence of the president. And you're right. The President has made an announcement that he's going to set up a task force to examine how transitions handle their packing of papers and movement saw this today in the transcripts of his interview with the special counsel that was released, the President talked openly about how as presidents and vice presidents do they rely on their staffs to pack up their papers and move boxes and things like that. So the President's actually taking action we've actually seen every administration in the last 50 years, having accidentally taken classified documents when they leave office, and he's going to do something about it."

On why Biden said it was Hur who brought up Beau Biden, when it was really the president who brought up his son?

"Well, the transcript clearly shows that the President was being asked by the special counsel about the book that he wrote about his son's unfortunate and untimely passing and the grief and the pain that you felt and how he moved through that to try to find new purposes. The first time out of office leaving office in 45 years, he was asked about the work of the Cancer Moonshot that the President spoken very openly about first years being motivated by the illness and the tragic death of his son Beau by brain cancer. These are the things that he was being asked about. So anybody who's familiar with this president's powerful story, emotional story of overcoming that loss, and finding a new purpose and trying to keep going for the country to try to save our democracy and move our country forward. Anybody who's familiar with that story from the president will understand that the President is going to talk about his son Beau. And I think the transcript makes plainly clear, and I think the American people understand this. The President remembers exactly when his son died. He carries that pain with him every day. He carries that emotional toll with him every day."

On if Biden regrets claiming up that Hur raised his son's name:

The "President was very, I think emotional about the fact that this special counsel has spent five hours with the President used his report to make a patently false claim that the President somehow doesn't remember when his son died."

On if the report exonerated Biden, which Hur has claimed he didn't do:

"Well, I think the report cleared President Biden, I mean, President Biden's been cleared, that's the whole decision that was made by the prosecutor."

In-Town pool #11- polish leaders at sticks

Polish president Duda and Prime Minister Tusk are speaking at the sticks (in Polish) about their meeting with President Biden.

In-Town pool #12- Tusk comment

Polish PM Donald Tusk was asked in English what his message to Putin would be.

"The west is United more than ever before when it comes to Ukraine. Despite the problem in the House," Tusk said, hoping that Speaker Johnson will figure out the aid package to Ukraine.

In-Town pool #13- Lid

The White House has called a lid.

Good night!

Foreign pool report #1- background on Polish leaders' visit

Good afternoon,

I will be your foreign pooler for President Biden's bilateral meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

Duda and Tusk are expected to arrive at the White House around 3:30 PM After signing a guestbook, both will briefly meet with Biden in the Oval Office (closed press).

At 4:00 PM POTUS will host Duda and Tusk for a bilateral meeting in the East Room. Before leaving the White House, Polish leaders are expected to come to the sticks.

Duda and Tusk arrived in Washington Monday afternoon on separate planes, as they are not allowed to travel on the same aircraft. They are also staying at different hotels in DC.

After his White House visit Duda will travel to Georgia, where he will visit Vogtle Nuclear Power Plant and Fort Stewart Army Base to emphasize Polish-US cooperation on military and energy. The Prime Minister will return to Poland later today.

Ahead of Duda's and Tusk's visit to to the White House Jake Sullivan said that President Biden "will share with Poland's leaders that the United States plans to move forward with the new $2 billion dollar Foreign Military Financing direct loan to Poland, using previously appropriated congressional funds, and will offer to sell Poland 96 Apache helicopters.

Duda on Capitol Hill:

Earlier today President Duda held two meetings on Capitol Hill. He met with Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Minority Leader McConnell, and separately with House Speaker Johnson and House Minority Leader Jeffries. After leaving the Capitol he said that he presented Poland's point of view as a NATO member and U.S. ally, that support for Ukraine "is a key element for containing Putin and Russia's imperial ambitions".

Highly anticipated visit:

A trip of a Polish leader to the United States is always a big story in Poland. As the President and the PM are staunch political opponents, this visit draws even more interest. Since the official announcement of Duda's and Tusk's visit to the White House, Polish media have been reporting on every detail of the upcoming meeting with Biden, commenting on its significance, and speculating why Biden invited both Polish leaders at the same time. Many experts argued that joint invitation shows the importance of Poland to the Biden administration. One prominent politician said that inviting both leaders "means only one thing: that Poland is in a great danger [from Russia]".

Dozens of media representatives flew from Warsaw to Washington on President's and Prime Minister's planes. Many traveled independently. Polish press will be focusing on every single detail of Duda's and Tusk's visit to the White House, including which of them spoke better English, who acted more like a statesmen, who's handshake with Biden lasted longer or was more sincere.

Unity over divisions:

Andrzej Duda and Donald Tusk are currently involved in an intense political fight. They publicly criticize one another and accuse each other of breaking the Constitution. At one instance Duda offered his Presidential Palace as a refuge to two former officials convicted of abuse of power that Tusk's government wanted to arrest. Duda called them political prisoners and later pardoned.

Despite their strong differences at home, Duda and Tusk promised that during their visit to the White House they would speak with one voice on national security, NATO and Poland-U.S. relations. Ahead of the trip to Washington Duda convened the National Security Council to align his and government's positions. Before heading to the U.S. Tusk posted on X the following statement: "I differ politically with President Andrzej Duda on almost everything, but when it comes to the security of our homeland, we must and will act together".

25th anniversary of Poland's accession to NATO

Poland joined NATO during Clinton's administration on March 12, 1999, along with Hungary and the Czech Republic. Over the years, Poland's position in NATO has been steadily growing. Poland sent thousands of troops to Afghanistan and Iraq, which were part of the United States-led coalition. Poland is spending billions of dollars on U.S. made military equipment, including Abrams tanks, Apache helicopters, F-35, HIMARS and Patriot Missile Defense systems.

Poland is currently spending on defense almost 4 percent of its GDP. In his op-ed published by the Washington Post on Monday, President Duda said he would propose increasing the minimum threshold of military spending by NATO countries from current 2 percent to 3 percent of GDP.

U.S. military presence in Poland:

Currently, approximately 10,000 U.S. personnel are on rotation in Poland. Government in Warsaw advocates for further increase of the U.S. military presence in Poland. Before his trip to Washington Polish President said that he would ask President Biden for more American troops in Poland. However, there is no specific request from Poland for additional U.S. deployment, and Duda's statement is rather a general expression of Poland's willingness to host more Americans soldiers. Almost every Polish politician traveling to the U.S. says they would advocate for increasing U.S. military presence in Poland.

President Biden said yesterday there was no need for additional U.S. troops on Poland's border.

40 billion dollars on nuclear energy:

In 2022 Poland chose U.S. company Westinghouse to build its first nuclear power plant, which is scheduled to become operational in 2033. This is one of the largest energy projects in Central and Eastern Europe. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said the project would create or sustain more than 100,000 jobs for American workers.

Poland is planning to spend $40 billion to build two nuclear plants. A contractor for the second plant has not been chosen yet. In February Bloomberg reported that Tusk's government is prepared to consider France's Electricite de France as a bidder of the second nuclear power plant.

Energy security is expected to be one of the main topics during the meeting between Biden and Polish leaders, as the United States wants to build both of the power plants in Poland.

Andrzej Duda:

51-year-old Andrzej Duda is the President of Poland since 2015 (reelected in 2020). He is a member of the populist Law and Justice Party that lost last year's parliamentary elections opening the door for Donald Tusk's premiership. Duda is known for his support of conservative social policies, including opposition to same-sex marriage and abortion. Duda enjoyed close relationship with former President Donald Trump, but since the start of the war in Ukraine Duda build solid ties with Biden as well. They held two bilateral meetings during POTUS's visits to Poland in March 2022 and February 2023.

Andrzej Duda is married to Agata Kornhauser-Duda, a linguist and a teacher. They have one daughter. Duda is an avid skier and cites skiing as his favorite pastime.

Donald Tusk:

66-year-old Donald Tusk is the Prime Minister of Poland and one of the leading European politicians. He previously served as Poland's prime minister from 2007 to 2014 and then as the President of the European Council from 2014 to 2019. Last year Tusk led a pro-European coalition of three parties who eventually won Polish parliamentary elections in October. After the win the Politico Europe ranked Donald Tusk as the most powerful person in Europe. "For two decades, two men have waged a battle for Poland's soul. In the blue corner, fighting for a democratic, modern, European vision of the future" – said authors of the ranking.

Before becoming the E.U. President, Tusk was criticized for his poor English skills. As a result, at the age of 47 he took extensive language classes and rapidly mastered English. Apart from Polish and English, Tusk is also fluent in German and Kashubian – a language of Kashubians minority in Poland that he belongs to.

Donald Tusk and his wife Małgorzata have two children: a son, and a daughter.

Foreign pool note #2 - Polish leaders' arrival

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk arrived in a black SUV with U.S. and Poland's flags at 3:20 PM. Tusk looked at reporters and walked inside, followed by government delegation. At 3:25 PM. President Andrzej Duda arrived at the West Wing entrance in another SUV. Entering the WH he waved to the press Both leaders were greeted by the Acting Chief of Protocol of the United States Ethan Rosenzweig.

After signing a guest book Duda and Tusk are expected to meet with Biden at the Oval Office for a gaggle and photos. This engagement will be followed by an official bilateral meeting in the East Room at 4:00PM. POTUS and Polish leaders are expected to give remarks on top of the meeting.

Your pooler spotted the following officials accompanying President Duda and PM Tusk:

Marek Magierowski, Poland's ambassador to the U.S.,
Jacek Siewiera, Head of the National Security Bureau at President's Office,
Marcin Mastalerek, Head of the Cabinet of the President of Poland,
Radosław Sikorski, Poland's Foreign Minister
Paweł Graś, Head of PM's political bureau

Foreign pool report #3 - gathering for East Room Event

Polish and American pools have gathered now by the Palm Room Doors for Biden's engagement with Polish leaders in the East Room, scheduled for 4:00 PM.

Foreign pool report #4 - remarks over

POTUS didn't answer shouted questions.

Earlier he welcomed Polish leaders and expressed his ironclad commitment to the Article 5 of NATO.

Duda and Tusk thanked for the invitation. Both emphasized Polish unity on security issues over political differences, including on strong relationship with the U.S.

I will send quotes soon.

The White House passes along the following:

The President is participating in a bilateral meeting with President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk of the Republic of Poland:

U.S. Manifest
The President
T.H. Antony Blinken, Secretary of State
T.H. Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense
T.H. Jennifer Granholm, Secretary of Energy
T.H. Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
T.H. Mark Brzezinski, Ambassador of the United States to the Republic of Poland
T.H. Daleep Singh, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics
T.H. Jim O'Brien, Assistant Secretary of State for Eurasian Affairs
Mr. Andrew Johnson, Acting Senior Director for Europe, National Security Council
Ms. Laura Daniels, Director for Poland, National Security Council
Mr. J.P. Feldmayer, Director for NATO and European Affairs, National Security Council

Polish President's Manifest
H.E. Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland
H.E. Marek Magierowski, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the United States
Mr. Marcin Mastalerek, Secretary of State, Chief of the Cabinet of the President of the Republic of Poland
Mr. Jacek Siewiera, Secretary of State, Head of National Security Bureau
Mr. Mieszko Pawlak, Undersecretary of State, Head of the International Policy Bureau, Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland
Mr. Wojciech Kolarski, Secretary of State, Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland

Polish Prime Minister's Manifest
H.E. Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland
H.E. Radoslaw Sikorski, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Ms. Agnieszka Rucinska, Undersecretary of State, Office of the Prime Minister
Mr. Pawel Gras, Chief of the Prime Minister's Political Cabinet
Ms. Beata Turska, Advisor to the Prime Minister

Foreign pool report #5 - Poland remarks

Following POTUS's remarks President Duda said that 25 years ago a „dream of many generations of Poles came true" as Poland joined NATO.

Other Duda's quotes:

- „During these 25 years we have shown that we are reliable and proven partner"

- „we spend more than 4% of our GDP on maintaining and modernizing our armed forces".

- „I believe it's necessary for all NATO countries to increase their defense spending from 2% to 3% of GDP"

- „we are building first nuclear power plants with American companies.

- „We invite new American companies to come to Poland"

After President Duda, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk spoke and thanked Biden for transatlantic commitment and for fighting for freedom and „principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law"

Other Tusk's quotes:

- „our country now is a stable democracy

-„there cab