Pool Reports by Annie Linskey, The Washington Post
| Sent: | Reports: |
| May 31, 2021 08:40 |
POTUS out of town pool report #1 Good morning from sunny Wilmington. POTUS left his Wilmington home at 8:37 am He is heading via motorcade to DANG, and will chopper to DC. Here is a reminder of the day's schedule In-Town Pool Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg Out-of-Town Pool Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg EDT 6:45 AM Out-of-Town Pool Call Time 7:30 AMTHE PRESIDENT receives the President's Daily Brief 8:35 AM THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY depart Wilmington, Delaware en route the White House 9:00 AM In-Town Pool Call Time 9:30 AM THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY arrive at the White House 10:00 AM THE PRESIDENT, THE FIRST LADY, THE VICE PRESIDENT, THE SECOND GENTLEMAN, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff participate in a Wreath-Laying Ceremony 10:30 AM THE PRESIDENT delivers the Memorial Day Address at the 153rd National Memorial Day Observance; the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff also deliver remarks; THE FIRST LADY, THE VICE PRESIDENT, and THE SECOND GENTLEMAN also attend |
| May 31, 2021 08:56 |
POTUS out of town pool report #2 - dang departure POTUS arrived at DANG via motorcade at 8:46 am POTUS and Flotus seen boarding on marine 1 at 8:47 am Marine 1 lifted off at 8:51 am Handing off to in town pool |
Pool Reports below by Steven Nelson, New York Post
| Sent: | Reports: |
| May 31, 2021 09:45 |
Pool Report 1/Arrival Good morning and happy Memorial Day. Marine One landed at the Ellipse at 9:40. President Biden disembarked at 9:43 and did not speak with reporters. The motorcade will be rolling soon toward Arlington cemetery for a wreath laying ceremony and presidential address. |
| May 31, 2021 10:01 |
Pool Report 2/Arlington arrival The motorcade was rolling from the Ellipse at 9:45 and stopped inside Arlington cemetery at 9:58. A small number of spectators watched the motorcade arrive. Uniformed service members lined the cemetery's interior drive and loud ceremonial booms could be heard as we rolled in. |
| May 31, 2021 10:17 |
Pool Report 3/Wreath laying President Biden presented a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to mark Memorial Day at 10:11. He appeared to bow his head in prayer and crossed himself in front of the wreath, which already was in place on a stand. Vice President Kamala Harris and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin accompanied him. Before Biden approached the wreath, he and Austin saluted the tomb as a military band played the National Anthem. Harris placed a hand over her heart. We in the pool did not see Biden exit the Beast ahead of the ceremony. Biden is scheduled to deliver a Memorial Day address around 10:30. His remarks will be carried live on the White House website and I will send a pool report when it begins. |
| May 31, 2021 10:36 |
Pool Report 4/Remarks begin President Biden began speaking at a largely empty Arlington Memorial Amphitheater at 10:34. I will not be transcribing the remarks, but you can watch them live here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/ Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke before Biden. Very few people are seated inside the amphitheater, but there's a military band and a couple distinct groups of spectators (one group of a few dozen is wearing blue, others are wearing red). Unmasked officials including VP Harris and VA Secretary Denis McDonough are seated under a raised colonnade. The White House sent this information before the speech: The President, First Lady, Vice President, and Second Gentleman are greeting with: - Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin |
| May 31, 2021 10:59 |
Pool Report 5/Speech over President Biden's speech ended at 10:56. Although much of the address featured familiar Biden commentary on grief and democracy, he also made some thinly veiled political swipes. Biden said democracy is "in peril" in the US and at one point called on the press to report "facts, not propaganda." Please check the video for full context. |
| May 31, 2021 11:01 |
Pool Report 6/Info on audience The White House shares the following: In the audience during the President's remarks are Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) families and military. |
| May 31, 2021 11:23 |
Pool Report 7/Rolling The motorcade began rolling at 11:19 amid more loud ceremonial blasts. The pool could not see President Biden as he rejoined the motorcade. |
| May 31, 2021 11:29 |
Pool Report 8/Stop At 11:21 the motorcade came to a stop within Arlington cemetery at Section 12, per a co-pooler. President Biden spoke with two adults and two children (a boy and a girl). It's not immediately clear who they are or which grave he visited. He continued walking after a few minutes and greeted another family, with whom he posed for a photo. |
| May 31, 2021 11:30 |
Pool Report 9/Rolling again ?The motorcade continued rolling at 11:28 after President Biden's stop. |
| May 31, 2021 11:44 |
Pool Report 10/Lunch stop The motorcade made an unscheduled trip up 14th St NW for a lunch stop at Le Diplomate, a popular French restaurant. The motorcade came to a stop at 11:40 and the pool is holding in vans. |
| May 31, 2021 12:01 |
Pool Report 11/Lunch info The White House shared the following: The Vice President and the Second Gentleman are joining the President and the First Lady at Le Diplomate. |
| May 31, 2021 12:55 |
Pool Report 12/rolling The motorcade began rolling again at 12:52. The pool could not see if President Biden and the first lady interacted with any of the onlookers as they emerged from the restaurant. I suggest checking out social media, as there was a somewhat large crowd and some cheering. |
| May 31, 2021 12:57 |
Pool Report 13/Back at WH The motorcade returned to the White House at 12:56. |
| May 31, 2021 13:43 |
Pool Report 14/Lid We received a travel/photo lid at 1:40. Have a great day, everyone. |
Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Pool Reports of May 31, 2021 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/350141