Pool Reports of May 17, 2024

In-town pool report #1 - Motorcade rolling

Good morning from the White House.

President Biden walked out of the South Portico and boarded the presidential limo at 10:58 a.m. ET.

The motorcade is now rolling for the short trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall.

The president will deliver remarks at the NAACP's event marking the 70th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling by the Supreme Court.

In-town pool report #2 - Arrival at museum

President Biden's motorcade arrived at the National Museum of African American History and Culture at 11:01 a.m. after a short, uneventful ride.

The president is scheduled to deliver remarks at 11:45 a.m. ET. The remarks will be live streamed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLDKO6uIH9o

In-town Pool #3 - Awaiting Biden remarks

The pool is now inside the Oprah Winfrey Theater inside the museum awaiting President Biden's remarks. The theater is a modern space that is lined with the Corona Panels that mark the museum's exterior.

Janai Nelson, the president-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, was addressing those in attendance about the legacy of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling when the pool arrived.

The audience of a few hundred is now listening to Becky Pringle, the president of the National Education Association.

From the White House:

Traveling with the President via motorcade en route to the National Museum of African American History and Culture:

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
Stephen Benjamin, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President & Director of the Office of Public Engagement
Neera Tanden, Assistant to the President & Domestic Policy Advisor
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
Erica Loewe, Special Assistant to the President & Chief of Staff of the Office of Public Engagement
Jacob Spreyer, Special Assistant to the President & Personal Aide to the President

In-town Pool Report #4 - Speaking program

President Biden will be speaking shortly; Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, is now addressing the audience.

Passing this along from the White House:

In attendance for the President's remarks at the National Museum of African American History and Culture:

Members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and NAACP Legal Defense Fund, members of the Little Rock 9, Brown vs. Board of Education delegation, and other civil rights and education leaders.

Speaking Program:
Janette McCarthy Wallace, General Counsel, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
Derrick Johnson, CEO, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
The President

Here's the live stream for the speech:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLDKO6uIH9o

In-town pool report #5 - Remarks/Back at the White House

President Biden took the stage at 11:43 a.m., please check remarks against the transcript.

The president spoke about the legacy of the 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, which found racial segregation was unconstitutional. "Seventy years ago, you changed the world," Biden told the attendees.

He noted that he welcomed plaintiffs of the lawsuit and their family members to the Oval Office on Thursday and pointed to the progress that has been made since the ruling. He said when we make real the promise of all Americans, "the nation changes for the better."

"The Brown decision proves a simple idea: We learn better when we learn together," Biden said.

Biden spoke of his work to help Black children through the American Rescue Plan, including the child tax credit that cut child poverty in half. "We're going to get it reestablished," he said. He pointed to the administration's work to support HBCU's and pointed out that he would be speaking Sunday at Morehouse College in Atlanta and that Vice President Kamala Harris is a graduate of Howard University.

He said HBCU's helped produce "100 percent of Black vice presidents," drawing laughter and applause from the audience.

Biden concluded his remarks at 11:59 a.m. The motorcade was rolling at 12:04 p.m. and back at the White House at 12:07 p.m.

The pool saw the president enter the Oval Office at 12:08 p.m.

In-town Pool Report #6 - Lunch lid/new briefing time

The White House says the press briefing will begin at 2 p.m.

We have a lunch lid until 1:50 p.m.

In-town Pool Report #7 - Briefing Delayed

Update: The press briefing will now begin at 2:30 p.m.

In-Town Pool Report #8 - Kirby at the briefing

Another update: Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will be joined by White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby for today's briefing.

In-Town Pool Report #9 - 2 minute warning

The press briefing will begin in 2 minutes.

In-town Pool Report #10 - Briefing ends

The press briefing with Karine Jean-Pierre and John Kirby began at 2:39 p.m.

The briefing ended at 3:36 p.m.

In-town Pool Report #11 - Lid

The White House declared a lid at 6:05 p.m.

Have a great weekend.