Pool Reports of March 8, 2024

WH in-town pool report #1 – Lunch lid

Good afternoon. Your pool has a lunch lid until 1:20 pm ET.

WH in-town pool report #2 – Gathering

Your pool is gathering at the Palm Room doors for POTUS' departure.

WH in-town pool report #3 — Rope line and departure

POTUS emerged with FLOTUS from the White House at 2:18 pm EST. They walked over to greet guests along a rope line, took photos with a baby, shook hands and engaged in small talk.

The President took roughly three times as long to work the rope line as the First Lady, who stood to the side as he finished before boarding Marine One on her own at 2:30 pm EST.

POTUS followed just a moment later, followed by staff. M1 liftoff was at 2:33 pm EST.

Handing it over to your out-of-town pool. Have a good weekend.

Travel Pool Report No. 1 - JBA - he talked

Good afternoon from Joint Base Andrews. I'll be your print pooler for President Biden's trips to Philadelphia today and Atlanta tomorrow.

It's an exceptionally pleasant pre-spring day, with temps at 59 degrees and cloudy.

Marine One was wheels down at 2:43 p.m.

POTUS disembarked at 2:46 p.m. wearing his aviators closely followed by FLOTUS, wearing a purple ensemble.

He boarded at 2:49.

He talked. He was asked about debating Trump, his hot mic comments on Netanyahu, the Gaza port. Will grab quotes in a sec.

We'll be wheels up shortly to Philadelphia. We're expecting a very short gaggle due to it being such a quick flight.

More TK!

Travel Pool Report No. 2 - quotes from quick gaggle

On debating Trump:

"It depends on his behavior."

Do you regret using the term illegal?

Check against transcript but it sounded like he said "they were not supposed to be here."

He said he watched some of Katie Britt's response on TV.

Netanyahu hot mic:

"I didn't say that."

What about after the speech?

"You guys eavesdropped on me."

He said he would support banning TikTok if they passed it they would sign it.

Was also asked about Orban and the Gaza port.

More when we land

Travel Pool Report No. 3 - better quotes and PHL arrival

AF1 was wheels up at 2:58 p.m. We landed at PHL at 3:23 p.m.

Gaggle kicked off at 3:13 p.m. and concluded at 3:22 p.m.

Here are better quotes from POTUS:

Q: on using the term "illegals"

"technically he's not supposed to be here."

More Netanyahu:

Q: But does that show your level of frustration with him on humanitarian aid? Does he need to be doing more?

A: "Yes he does."

Q: Katie Britt SOTU response:

A: "I just saw a little bit on television."

He characterized her as some kind of woman, but it was really hard to hear what he said.

"I didn't quite make the connection she was making."

Q: TikTok

"If they pass it, I'll sign it."

Q: who offering security for the Gaza port?

"The Israelis."

A: On Trump meeting with Orban.

"I'm not you should be."

Greeting the President and the First Lady upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews:

Colonel Angela Ochoa, Commander, 89th Airlift Wing
Captain Eric Anderson, Deputy Director of Flightline Protocol, 89th Airlift Wing

Traveling with the President and the First Lady aboard Air Force One en route to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:

Rep. Brendan Boyle (PA-2)
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5)
Rep. Madeleine Dean (PA-4)
Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Annie Tomasini, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Anita Dunn, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President
Anthony Bernal, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the First Lady
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
John McCarthy, Deputy Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor for Political Engagement
Marc Gustafson, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for the White House Situation Room
Sheila Grant, Special Assistant to the President & Chief of Staff & Senior Advisor to the Deputy Chief of Staff
Rykia Dorsey, Special Assistant to the President & Acting Press Secretary for the First Lady

Travel Pool Report No. 4 - Philly arrival and rolling

POTUS took the small stairs off AF1 at 3:39 p.m., followed by FLOTUS with both hugging the former congressman Brady.

The trio of Democratic reps followed and chatted with Brady on the tarmac. The Bidens were in the beast at 3:40 p.m.

We're rolling to our first stop as of 3:43 p.m.

From the White House:

Greeting the President and the First Lady upon arrival at Philadelphia International Airport:

Bob Brady, Former U.S. Congressman

Travel Pool Report No. 5 - arrival at private residence

We arrived at a private residence at 4:01 p.m.

The motorcade passed about a dozen onlookers as we left the Philadelphia airport, some with phones out and one man with a bicycle giving a double thumbs down.

"Go back to Washington, pieces of shit," a man yelled as the motorcade wheeled through downtown Media, PA.

Another man was holding a black flag with an image of Trump on it and the ex-president was urinating on Biden's name.

A handful of people have watermelon signs asking for a ceasefire in Gaza.

More TK

Traveling with the President and the First Lady via motorcade:

Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Annie Tomasini, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Anita Dunn, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President
Anthony Bernal, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the First Lady
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
John McCarthy, Deputy Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor for Political Engagement
Marc Gustafson, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for the White House Situation Room
Sheila Grant, Special Assistant to the President & Chief of Staff & Senior Advisor to the Deputy Chief of Staff
Rykia Dorsey, Special Assistant to the President & Acting Press Secretary for the First Lady

Travel Pool Report No. 6 - house visit

POTUS and FLOTUS got out of the beast at 4:03 p.m. They greeted a family with a little girl with POTUS paying attention to her first.

We are in the borough of Rose Valley.

The White House hasn't sent us names of the family yet.

Dr. Biden walked inside with a gift basket

"Hey folks," he told the pool, letting Dr. Biden go in front of him as he entered the residence.

More details as we get them.

Travel Pool Report No. 7 - IDs of family

The father’s name is Jack Cunicelli, the wife is Monica Gagliardi and their daughter is four year old Stella, per the Biden-Harris campaign.

Pool is holding in the vans.

Travel Pool Report No. 8 - more campaign event details

Additional information from the Biden-Harris campaign:

The President and First Lady are sitting down with Jack and David Cunicelli, the owners of 320 Market Cafe, and their families at Jack's home in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.

Just a note that the address of the residence is Rose Valley, but Swarthmore appears to be the broader town.

There was a chicken coop and a vegetable garden outside the home.

Neighbors, including a number of children and a golden retriever, are milling around the wooded community as the Bidens are inside. One woman is holding a ceasefire now sign. Some of the children had handmade signs in support of the president that they held up as the motorcade drove past.

We're still holding. More TK

Travel Pool Report No. 9 - house departure/ceasefire comments

POTUS and FLOTUS walked out of the residence at 5:07 with the little girl and husband in tow.

Biden said the older brother of the family went to school with my son Hunter.

"It was just nice"

"Because I wanted to meet with the people I grew up with."

Asked if there would be a ceasefire by Ramadan.

"It’s looking tough."

Worried out about violence in East Jerusalem.

"I sure am."

Rolling as if 5:12 - please check quotes against transcript!

Travel Pool Report No. 10 - arrival/protesters outside

We pulled to the speech venue at 5:18, there are hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside chanting "shame on you."

Pool is now inside the middle school where supporters are chanting "four more years."

More TK

Travel Pool Report No. 11 - campaign event begins

The program kicked off at 5:41 p.m. The Bidens came on stage at 5:44 p.m. The president is wearing a blue pullover sweater. FLOTUS gave a shout-out to Jason Kelce at the top of her remarks.

This campaign event is open press so I'll just be sending color.

On behalf of the Biden-Harris campaign:

The President and the First Lady are delivering remarks at a campaign event.

Speaking Program
Dr. Chichi Momah
The First Lady
The President

Coldplay's Sky Full of Stars was playing ahead of Biden's remarks - Beau's favorite tune, which was played heavily during the 2020 campaign as well.

More TK!

Travel Pool Report No. 12 - campaign event ends

After a feisty introduction from Dr. Biden, POTUS started speaking at 5:51 p.m.

The president read his speech from the teleprompter but ad libbed here and there.

"Hello DELCO!" he said at the top. "If you're tired you probably watched my address last night."

He joked about the "unusually warm reception" he received from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene last night.

"That's why you're my President Joe!" a female supporter shouted as he talked about building out the middle class and restoring the soul of the nation.

"You know who he's meeting with today down at Mar-a-Lago?" Biden asked, drawing attention to Trump's meeting with Orban, pointing out how Orban has said democracy doesn't work.

Biden said world leaders have said to him about Trump: "He can't win again, because my democracy is at stake."

Biden wrapped remarks at 6:17 p.m.

When Dr. Biden embraced him onstage he then told the crowd, "I had to ask this woman five times to marry me!"

He's working the crowd as of 6:18 p.m.

More TK

Travel Pool Report No. 13 - campaign event departure

POTUS worked the room until 6:48 p.m.

Several times an announcement played on the overhead saying that the president needed to leave due to road closures and Biden ignored it.

Protesters were still at it as we left, shouting "how many schools have you bombed today."

Motorcade was rolling at 6:53 p.m.

Also we have a longer pool note from the campaign about the house stop:

President Biden and the First Lady sat down with Jack and David Cunicelli, the owners of 320 Market Cafe, and their families at Jack's home in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. The Cunicelli brothers went to school in Wilmington, Delaware, before starting their family business in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. They were able to keep their two locations in Media and Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, open and their employees paid during the pandemic thanks to critical small business relief President Biden delivered in the White House.

The campaign also provided handout photos, including one inside the Cunicelli home, where Biden is talking to the family eating a slice of pizza and drinking a Coke.

Travel Pool Report No. 14 - Marine One lift at PHL

The motorcade arrived at PHL at 7:10 p.m. to an awaiting Marine One to ferry POTUS to Wilmington.

POTUS was on the helo before pool got in the position to see him.

M1 lifted at 7:19 p.m.

Special thanks to co-poolers Brian Bennett and Deepa Shivaram for helping with quick transcriptions today.

I attempted to upload the campaign handout photos here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/hbx4avczhbkpfmw4c38vm/h?rlkey=hs7trpamnd1w5tehxyku1y5w5&dl=0

Handing it over to the Wilmington-based supplemental pool for his arrival at DANG.

Have a nice Friday night!

Travel Pool Report No. 15 - M1 travelers

One more from me –

Traveling with the President and the First Lady aboard Marine One en route to Delaware Air National Guard Base:

Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Anita Dunn, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President
Anthony Bernal, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the First Lady

Have a great night!

Supplemental pool report #1: DANG arrival

Marine One landed at DANG here in New Castle at 7:35 p.m. The president and First Lady disembarked a few minutes later, chatted briefly with the greeters and got into the waiting motorcade.

Motorcade is rolling at 7:43 p.m.

From the White House:

Greeting the President and the First Lady upon arrival at Delaware Air National Guard Base:

CW5 Ernestine Epps, Command Chief Warrant Officer, Delaware Army National Guard
CSM Kemberly Hines Fairfax, State Command Sergeant Major, Delaware Army Nation Guard

Supplemental pool report #2: Wilmington residence

Motorcade arrived at the president’s residence in Wilmington at 7:58 p.m.

Supplemental pool report #3: Lid and protest

White House called a lid at 8:02 p.m.

At a stoplight down the street from the president's home was a group of about 20 protesters chanting "Biden Biden you can't hide, we charge you with genocide" and waving Palestinian flags.

That's it from the supplemental pool, have a good night.

Supplemental pool report #4: Shutdown update

Sharing the following from the White House:

OMB has ceased shutdown preparations because Congress has passed the relevant appropriations and the President will sign the bill shortly. Because obligations of federal funds are incurred and tracked on a daily basis, and the President will sign the bill tomorrow, agencies will not shut down and may continue their normal operations tomorrow.