Pool Reports of October 24, 2022

In-town print pool report #1: Checking in

Greetings from the White House.

I'm your print pooler for today. (For the record, USA Today is filling in for The Washington Blade, which is listed as the pooler on the Daily Guidance.)

So far, there are no updates to the president's schedule.

POTUS is set to deliver remarks at DNC headquarters at 1 p.m. C-SPAN will have a live feed.

At 2:15, the president and the first lady will participate in a tree-planting ceremony on the South Lawn. Karine Jean-Pierre's daily press briefing is scheduled for 3 p.m. And at 5 p.m., the president, the vice president and the first lady will participate in a Diwali reception in the East Room.

In-town print pool report #2: Awaiting departure

Pool has gathered and is awaiting departure for DNC headquarters.

In-town print pool report #3: Departure

We are rolling toward DNC headquarters at 1:16 pm.

Pool did not see POTUS enter the motorcade.

In-town print pool report #4: DNC arrival

Motorcade arrived at DNC headquarters in southeast Washington at 1:23 pm after an uneventful trip across town.

Tourists along the motorcade route waved and took photos with their cell phones.

From the White House:

Traveling with the President via motorcade en route the Democratic National Committee Headquarters:

Jen O'Malley Dillon, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Annie Tomasini, Assistant to the President & Director of Oval Office Operations
Vinay Reddy, Assistant to the President & Director of Speechwriting
Emmy Ruiz, Assistant to the President & Director of Political Strategy & Outreach
Ryan Harper, Special Assistant to the President & National Security Council Acting Chief of Staff & Executive Secretary
Emilie Simons, Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary
Travis Dredd, Special Assistant to the President & Trip Director
Ashley Williams, Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations

In-town print pool report #5: Event begins

An enthusiastic crowd awaited POTUS in a DNC conference room, clapping and chanting "Let's go Joe!" and "Fired up and ready to go!"

Biden was introduced and began speaking at 1:31 pm. His remarks will be streamed live in C-SPAN.

From the White House:

In attendance for the President's remarks at the Democratic National Committee Headquarters:

• Democratic National Committee staffers, volunteers, and grassroots donors

Run of Show

Jose Nunez, Director of Organizing for the Democratic National Committee
The President

In-town print pool report #6: Biden's remarks

Using a hand-held mic, Biden spoke to the cheering crowd about the consequences of the upcoming election.

He wrapped up his remarks at 2:04 pm.

Some highlights:

Biden told the crowd that he came to the DNC to say "thank you thank you thank you" and stressed if Dems get people out to vote, "we win."

"I can't think of a more consequential election that I've been involved in."

Biden said Republicans are "doubling down" on "mega MAGA" policies.

"Democrats are the ones who are fiscally responsible" while Republicans want to cut Social Security and Medicare.

"I ain't gonna do it."

He warns that freedoms like the right to choose and the right to privacy are in jeopardy.

"We're not going to relent."

On inflation, "we have a lower inflation rate than most any nation, every nation in the world."

On Medicare, "After decades of trying, we finally gave Medicare the power to negotiate" lower drug prices.

Says the administration has made "the biggest investment on climate ever."

"We're doing all this in a fiscally responsible way."

Gas prices are coming down, "and we're going to continue to insist that oil companies pass on the savings of the lower price of a barrel of oil to a lower price for consumers at the pump."

He warns that if Republicans win in November, all of the gains that have been made will be gone.

Republicans have made it clear that if they take control of Congress, "they will shut down the government and refuse to pay our bills."

"I will not cut Social Security," he says to loud cheers and applause.

Two years ago, "Because you exercised your vote, Donald Trump was defeated."

"In the last few years, we faced some of the most difficult challenges. We're making real progress despite opposition from powerful special interests and extreme Republicans."

In 15 days, he says, voters must decide whether the country will go forward or backward.

In-town print pool report #7: Rolling

Motorcade is rolling back toward the White House at 2:20 pm.

In-town print pool report #8: Back at White House

Motorcade arrived back at the White House at 2:25 pm.

We are now gathering for the tree-planting ceremony.

In-town print pool report #9: Tree planting details

We are waiting for the event to begin.

Meanwhile, the White House provides the following details on the tree planting:

Joining the President and the First Lady for the tree planting on the South Lawn:

• Dale Haney, White House Grounds Superintendent

Background from the Office of the First Lady | President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden Dedicate a Tree at the White House for Superintendent of the White House Grounds Dale Haney

On Monday, October 24th, at 2:15 PM ET, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will dedicate a new elm tree on the White House South Lawn to honor Superintendent of the White House Grounds Dale Haney for his continued service and contributions to the beauty and abundance of the White House gardens. This dedication is a surprise for Dale.

Dale has devoted fifty years to the White House Gardens and Grounds. He began work in 1972 as a gardener during the presidency of Richard Nixon and has now served ten administrations. Overseeing the care of five hundred trees, five thousand shrubs, thousands of annual flowers, a productive kitchen garden, and acres of manicured lawns, Dale has seen the grounds through a half-century of growth and improvement.

Dale Haney supervises the work of the National Park Service's full-time staff of gardeners, maintenance workers, electricians, and plumbers. Work goes on 365 days a year. No day is ever the same on the White House Grounds, and every day brings excitement, such as a State Arrival Ceremony, the Easter Egg Roll, a garden tour, a Congressional Picnic, a bill signing or press conference in the Rose Garden, or the swearing-in ceremony for a Supreme Court justice.

About the Elm:

Dale Haney worked with the National Park Service to locate and acquire this American Elm cultivar Ulmus americana 'Princeton' from Maryland. The tree was chosen to restore the traditional balance of the East Knoll on the South Lawn. This is a five to six-year-old sapling. Elm trees can grow to a height of 50 to 70 feet. There are other elms on both the South Lawn and the North Lawn.

In-town print pool report #10: Tree planting

POTUS and FLOTUS arrived for the tree planting at 2:34 pm

FLOTUS was wearing a long green coat. The president was dressed in a navy suit and tie.

POTUS and FLOTUS made brief remarks. FLOTUS called Haney "one of the most beloved" members of the White House staff.

It was difficult to hear POTUS. But he joked about the first pooch.

"Commander wanted to be here but we voted not to let him come," he said.

Then all three picked up long-handled golden shovels and dumped shovelfuls of dirt around the tree.

Afterward, Haney joined the Bidens for photos.

In-town print pool report #11: Briefing time changed

The press briefing will now start at 3:15 p.m.

In-town print pool report #12: Two-minute warning

Two-minute warning for press briefing.

In-town print pool report #13: Briefing begins

The briefing began at 3:23 pm.

In-town print pool report #14: Briefing ends

The briefing ended at 4:14 p.m.

In-town print pool report #15: Diwali reception

Pool has gathered in the East Room for the Diwali reception, the last event on the president's schedule for today.

The event will be streamed live on the White House website, so your pooler will provide color but will not send quotes from the president's remarks.

In-town print pool report #16: Diwali event

Two minutes until the president's remarks.

In-town print pool report #17: Diwali reception

POTUS, the vice president and FLOTUS entered the East Room at 5:19 pm.

A standing-room-only crowd cheered and held up their cell phones to take photos.

After opening remarks by the first lady and VP Harris, the president began to speak at 5:26 pm. He invited a young boy and girl to join him on the stage. Your pooler has asked the White House to provide their names and will send them if/when they are available.

To those in the crowd, he said: "Thank you for reflecting the soul of who we are as a nation."

He concluded at 5:38 pm.

In-town print pool report #18: Lid

The White House called a lid at 6:11 p.m.

Have a good night, everybody.

In-town print pool report #19:

The White House says the young boy and girl who joined POTUS on stage at the Diwali reception are the children of Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.

In-town print pool report #19(a): More Diwali reception details

From the White House:

In attendance for the President's remarks at the White House Diwali Celebration:

Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17)
Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08)
Members of the Indian American and South Asian American communities, members of the Biden-Harris Administration, Members of Congress, and White House senior staff

Performers
Rishab Sharma, Sitarist
The Sa Dance Company