Pool Reports of October 24, 2020

WH travel pool #1 - leaving Mar-a-Lago

?Good morning from Palm Beach where it is 81 degrees and sunny.

The motorcade departed Mar-a-Lago at 9:43 am.

Pool did not lay eyes on POTUS, who is off to cast his ballot in person. Early voting began in Florida on Monday. More than 52 million Americans have already voted, according to the Election Project.

The president has a busy day - after voting there are three rallies in three states: North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Pool was COVID tested this am.

WH travel pool #2 - arrival at voting location

? POTUS arrived at the Palm Beach County Main Library (it's across the street from his West Palm Beach golf club) at 9:53 am to cast his ballot.

There were supporters on the stretch of road just outside of Mar-a-Lago and right around the library waving and cheering. Several Trump 2020 signs.

Please note that in Florida: Photographs are not allowed in polling places or of mailed ballots, according to an Associated Press roundup of states where ballot selfies are legal and illegal.

WH travel pool #3 - at library

?President Trump came out of polling room to where pool was holding in another part of library.

Pool did not see POTUS vote.

POTUS wore a mask and took it off to talk to pool He said it was a "very secure vote." More quotes TK.

Kayleigh McEnany said there was no one else in there voting at the same time. She said it was a paper ballot that POTUS cast.

Library parking lot is filled with supporters waving and cheering. They are shouting "four more years" and waving Trump signs.

WH travel pool #4 - leaving library and POTUS quotes

? Motorcade left library at 10:20 am.

POTUS quotes:

"it was a very secure vote."
"Everything was perfect."
"It's an honor to be voting.""I voted for a guy named Trump."

We are rolling to Palm Beach airport.

WH pool report #5 - Palm Beach airport

?Motorcade arrived at Palm Beach airport at 10:27 am.

POTUS boarded plane as pool got out of vans.

One last note from library. As he was walking out POTUS did not respond to a question on when FLOTUS is voting.

Pool spotted Mark Meadows, Dan Scavino and Bill Stepien.

Thanks to co pooler Jerome Cartillier for his help with POTUS quotes.We are off to North Carolina. We are on small plane so connectivity is difficult on board. AF1 is wheels up shortly.

WH travel pool #6 - arrival in Fayetteville, North Carolina

?Air Force One was wheels down Fayetteville, North Carolina at 11:56 am.

It was an uneventful fight with no visitors to the press cabin.

President Trump exited the plane at 12:09 pm. He gave pool a thumbs up but did not answer questions.

Pool also saw Hope Hicks on the trip.

We are motorcading to Lumberton. It is an approximately 30 minute drive, according to the schedule.

WH travel pool #7 - Lumberton arrival

?Motorcade arrived at the Robeson County Fairgrounds in Lumberton at 12:53 pm.

The event is called "Fighting for the Forgotten Men and Women."

A large crane with an American flag is at the site. So is a large digital TV screen.

Ride was uneventful but lovely - motorcade drove along a tree-lined parkway for most of the route. Lots of green fields. A few cars pulled to side of road to film the motorcade as it went by.

WH travel pool #8 - rally starting

POTUS took the stage and started talking at 1:06 pm.

The rally appears to be about a couple thousand people – but no social distancing and few people wearing masks even though several have one dangling from their necks.

It is hot out: 82 degrees and very sunny. Several people in crowd waving "Lumbees for Trump" signs.

Pool didn't see POTUS exit The Beast. It pulled into a large building on the fairgrounds. Pool was led into press pen at rally site.

Rally is open press. Pool will send color.

WH travel pool #9 - additional information on the North Carolina event

?>From a Senior Administration Official on the North Carolina event:

"This isn't a traditional rally. These are short, concentrated remarks that will generally focus on his vision for Native American communities and the forgotten men and women of North Carolina."

The event is in honor of the Lumbee Tribe, which is the largest tribe in North Carolina, the largest tribe east of the Mississippi River and the ninth largest in the nation.

There are members of the tribe in the crowd. A drum is being beaten while POTUS talks (he said "I love the sound of the drum"), and, as pooler noted in last report, there are pink "Lumbees for Trump" signs in the crowd.

WH travel pool #10 - leaving event

?President Trump finished speaking at 2:07 pm.

Note: As POTUS was wrapping up, personnel that appeared to be medical helped an elderly woman walk out past the press pen. She was escorted to a shaded area where she could sit down. Again it is hot out.

Pool was pulled after POTUS finished speaking and did not see him enter the motorcade.

At 2:13 pm the motorcade is headed back to Fayetteville airport.

WH travel pool #11 - Fayetteville airport

?Motorcade arrived back at Fayetteville airport at 2:53 pm.

POTUS boarded the plane as pool was getting out of its van.

Next stop is Columbus, Ohio, where POTUS will deliver remarks at a campaign rally in nearby Circleville.

Air Force One will be rolling shortly.

WH travel pool # 12 - Columbus arrival

?Air Force One was wheels down in Columbus at 4:07 pm.

A senior administration official came back to talk both on background and off the record during the flight.

Here is the on background stuff:

On First Lady Melania Trump: "She's planning to vote in person."

Upcoming campaign travel: Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, then a swing out west - Nevada and Arizona. Then back to Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin again

On a possible coronavirus relief deal: "A deal could have been made a number of times over the last few days but the speaker has put more energy in rejecting compromises than compromising."

"The Biden campaign believes if they can have less interactions and do a deferred and delayed campaign strategy they can ride the positive polling and voter turnout to a win. We'll see is that works."

POTUS voting this morning: Trump showed a passport to vote.

WH travel pool #13 - POTUS talking

?President Trump exited the plane at 4:17 pm.

He was greeted by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and his wife Frances, both of whom are wearing face masks. The three spoke

POTUS is now wearing a blue tie. He wore a pink one earlier.

POTUS is talking about his crowd size versus Biden's. Quotes to come.

WH travel pool #14 - Off to Circleville and POTUS quotes

?POTUS quotes. Please double check against transcript

On election: Numbers are coming in unbelievably well.We have ten days, nothing worries me.

We had some very strong polls come out. We're two points out in Michigan.

We're going to have a great red wave. It's going to be a red wave like you have never seen before.

On Biden campaign: I don't think they're doing very well.

On COVID cases rising: Mortality way down. A lot of those cases are young people who get better almost immediately.

But we have more testing than any country in the world.

On voting this am: I voted straight Republican.

Motorcade is rolling at 4:27 pm to Circleville. It's about a 30 minute drive.

WH Travel pool #15 - more POTUS quotes

?Here are fuller quotes from the President's gaggle under the wing at Columbus airport (motorcade is still in route to Circleville):

On the election: "We're going to take this right up until the end and then I suspect I'll rest for about two hours but we'll see what happens. But I think we're doing very well. The numbers are coming in unbelievably well. I don't believe the media is talking about them. I'm not sure the media knows exactly what is happening yet but in Florida we're doing well; North Carolina doing well. Iowa doing very well. The governor was just telling me that in Ohio we're doing great."

More on election: "Well we have ten days, and you know nothing worries me. I think we're doing just very well you look at the numbers in Florida. We're way ahead than where we were four years ago right? Way ahead where we were four years ago, and I think I can say that everywhere else in North Carolina, we're way ahead than where we were four years ago. I don't know if it is a hidden vote. I don't know what it is."

On Florida and North Carolina: "If you look at the early vote it is not nearly what they thought it would be. It's just not what they thought. A great red wave going to be a red wave like you've never seen before because people are tired of looking at the anarchist all the things taking place in Portland, Chicago, New York, with crime. They're tired of it but you have a red wave the likes of which you haven't seen and everybody knows it. And they, you know, I don't think they're doing very well. They have no enthusiasm like Obama shows up for a speech and nobody shows - what is did he have 32 people show up we have 35,000 half the people. What's the smallest crowd been 20 works 22,000 people? Right?"

On rising COVID cases: You use the word cases you know why there's so many cases because we test because we test more than any -- any country in the world nobody tests like us. Cases - everybody uses word cases. Mortality way down. Way down, and a lot of those cases that you are talking about are young people. Very young people that get better - 99.9 per they get better almost immediately. No. Use the word cases because you're trying to scare people. Don't scare people. Don't scare people. The fact is, that we're doing very well the vaccines are coming out; therapeutics are coming out but we have more testing than any country in the world that includes India with 1.5 billion people. Nobody test like us. We test more. Now the good news is we know where it may be. The bad news is, any time you're testing you're going to come up with cases but you just use the word as cases."

On voting this am: "I voted straight Republican."

WH travel pool 16 - arrival in Circleville

Motorcade arrived at the Pickway Agricultural Center and Event Center in Circleville at 5:13 pm.

Supporters gathered at various points along the route to cheer and wave Trump 2020 flags and American flags.

The road into the event center was crowded with supporters on both sides with few people wearing masks. People cheered and waved as the motorcade went by. "Donald Trump Matters" read one supporter's shirt. Lots and lots of Trump 2020 signs being waved. "Four more years" was yelled by one group.

Circleville is know for its pumpkin show but this year's show was cancelled because of COVID. The driver of pool van three said locals are calling today the Trumpkin show.

It is 52 degrees and overcast in Circleville.

Rally site has another two big digital screens that say "Big Ten Football is back! President Donald J. Trump"

WH travel pool #17 - Circleville rally beginning

?President Trump began speaking at 5:22 pm.

A video introduced President Trump with the announcer saying President Trump brought back Big 10 football. POTUS then came on stage to "Proud to be an American."

The video caused the crowd of several thousand to cheer. Rally is packed and, again, few wearing face masks.

Rally is open press. Pool will send any color.

WH travel pool #18 - Circleville rally ends

?President Trump finished speaking at 6:36 pm.

Pool was pulled to press vans as he finished but from backstage we could see Kayleigh McEnany and David Bossie doing the YMCA.

At 6:40 pm the motorcade is headed back to the Columbus airport.

WH travel pool #19 - arrival at Columbus airport

?Motorcade arrived back at Columbus airport at 7:15 pm.

POTUS boarded as pool got out of vans.

Next we are off to Milwaukee where POTUS is holding a campaign rally in nearby Waukesha.

AF1 is wheels up shortly.

WH pool report #20 - arrival in Milwaukee and POTUS talked

?Air Force One was wheels down Milwaukee at 7:23 pm central time.

Flight was uneventful with no visitors to the press cabin.

President Trump exited the plane at 7:31 pm. He took one question under the wing.

"I hope you are all having a good time. We have a tremendous crowd," he said when he walked over.

He was asked if Republicans will keep the Senate.
"I hope we keep the Senate." He said he thought they'd win the House.

"I'll see you over there."

It is 37 degrees out and he was wearing an overcoat.

Motorcade is rolling to Waukesha at 7:35 pm. It's about a 30 minute drive.

WH pool report #21 - arrival in Waukesha

?Motorcade arrived at the Waukesha County Airport at 8:03 pm.

Drive was uneventful. There were some cheering supporters outside the airport entrance.

We are running about an hour behind the official schedule.

Rally site has a giant TV screen and a large American flag on a crane.

WH travel pool #22 - Waukesha rally starts

?POTUS started speaking at 9:15 pm.

It is 36 degrees. President Trump is wearing a pair a gloves with his overcoat.

It's another crowd of several thousand with little social distancing and few face masks.

Rally is open press.

WH travel pool #23 - leaving Waukesha rally

?President Trump finished speaking at 9:24 pm central time.

"We're all freezing our asses off," Trump said near the end of his remarks.

Pool was pulled as Trump was wrapping up and listened to his close from the warmth of the pool vans.

Note about rally: A large thin blue line flag was flying on cranes to the right of the stage. A large American flag was on cranes at the rear of the rally site.

At 9:28 pm motorcade is headed back to Milwaukee airport.

WH travel pool #24 - arrival at Milwaukee airport

?Motorcade arrived at Milwaukee airport at 9:57 pm.

POTUS didn't answer a shouted question about Marc Short testing positive for COVID. He walked up the stairs of the plane without talking and waved.

Next stop - JBA and home.

Huge thanks to co-pooler Jerome Cartillier of AFP for his help these past two days.

Air Force One is wheels up shortly. Ten more days.

WH travel pool #25 - wheels down JBA

?Air Force One was wheels down JBA at 12:31 am.

Flight was uneventful with no visitors to the press cabin.

WH travel pool #26 - Motorcade leaving and POTUS comment on Marc Short

?President Trump exited Air Force One at 12:42 am.

There is a light misty rainy falling. POTUS exited with a black umbrella.

He answered one question on if he heard Marc Short had COVID.

"I did hear about it just now. I think he's quarantining. I did hear about that. He's going to be fine. But he's quarantining."

He is motorcading back to the White House.

Handing off to in-town pool...

WH In-town pool #1 - Departing JBA for WH

?The in-town pool has picked up President Trump at JBA and we are motorcading back to the White House because of the Halloween decorations set up for tomorrow's event.

Please note the president answered a question about VP Pence chief of staff Marc Short's Covid diagnosis before getting in the Beast, per pooler Emily Goodin.

Next stop: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

WH In-town pool #2 - Back at WH and lid

?President Trump has returned to the White House after a quick drive down empty highways and past illuminated monuments.

The motorcade drove onto the White House grounds from Pennsylvania Ave. I did not catch POTUS walking inside.

We have a lid and good night.