Pool Reports of October 28, 2020

Out of town pool report #1 — rolling

?Good morning from Las Vegas.

Pool has been Covid tested and is rolling from our RON at 9:19 a.m. Pacific to the Trump Hotel for what seems to be an undisclosed campaign event before our departure to Arizona.

We are seeking additional details on the event but there may be POTUS remarks.

Out of town pool report #2 — POTUS event soon

Pool has been swept and is now setting up in a room on the plaza level of the Trump Hotel for an event that appears to be a press conference.

Two lecterns are set up, one with the presidential seal, behind which are alternating American and Nevada flags. The room is also wrapped with dark blue curtains.

No additional guidance yet on what these remarks will entail. TV pool appears to be trying to get this out. Print pool will effort a quick summary of any news and the full remarks to follow.

Out of town pool report #3 — event soon, probably

?No two-minute warning given yet but seven individuals, all masked, have now entered the room and been arranged in a group behind the second lectern. They are wearing lapel pins that appear to say "I ♥ Trucks."

So stand by for the start of this presser from Las Vegas.

If you're looking for it live, try Fox News and perhaps other networks as TV pool shot is established and feeding out.

Out of town pool report #3a — 5 minute warning to Trump

?just got a 5-minute warning for POTUS remarks

Out of town pool report #4 — POTUS event

?POTUS entered the room at 10:57 a.m. Pacific and stepped to the podium with the presidential seal.

"We have a great group of people, and I hear they'll be endorsing me," he said before stepping back and asking the assembled individuals to speak.

Here are their names and titles, from the White House:

Paul Enos, Nevada Trucking Association

Paul Truman, Nevada Trucking Association

Julie Burke, National Federation of IndependentBusinesses

Jeffrey Ecker, National Federation of IndependentBusinesses

Lisa Song Sutton, StartUpNV

Mary Lau, Retail Association of Nevada

Bryan Wachter, Retail Association of Nevada

Stewart Bybee, Associated Builders and Contractors

Donald Gibson, Associated Builders and Contractors

Not all spoke but those who did praised POTUS for actions taken to steady their businesses during the pandemic.

Retail Association CEO Mary Lowe thanked POTUS for PPP loans and asked for forgiveness for the those loans up to 150%.

"We appreciate the fact that you have built an amazing economy," she said.

At 11:04, Trump returned to the podium, complaining about "suppression polls" showing him behind that he called "a campaign contribution to the DNC."

"We up, even or very close," he said, in "all of the states."

He said he thinks Democrats are "underperforming" in early voting and said: "I think on Tuesday we're going to over-perform."

He also expressed hope that states that want to continue their counts past Election Day would be prevented from doing so. "Hopefully that won't be allowed by the various courts," he said.

Asked to comment on the violence in Philadelphia, Trump called it a "terrible thing" and blamed the mayor, "whoever is allowing it to happen."

More: "What I'm witnessing is terrible." He said the rioting must stop but federal government is looking. "A Democrat run state, a Democrat run city, Philadelphia."

He wrapped up at 11:10 and walked out, giving a thumbs up as he walked out.

Thanks to CO-pooler Alex Leary for help with quotes. Please check them all against transcript/video.

Pool now loading into vans, rolling in a minute for McCarran International Airport.

Out of town pool report #5 — wheels up from LAS

?Motorcade left Trump's hotel at 11:14 a.m. local and arrived on the tarmac at McCarran International Airport at 11:29.

POTUS boarded quickly from the main stairs before the pool was in place beneath the wing.

Incidentally, we have switched planes — still a 747, but it's tail number 29000 to AZ; 28000, which brought us here, is parked just behind this one.

Wheels up shortly for Bullhead City, AZ, the location of the first of today's two scheduled rallies in the state.

Out of town pool report #6 — Bullhead City, AZ arrival

AF1 was wheels up from LAS at 11:42 Pacific and wheels down in AZ at 12:06.

Rally is set up here on the tarmac. Usual stuff: huge American flag hung from a crane, soundtrack on blast.

POTUS about to step off AF1, which is just behind the stage.

Remarks will be available online and perhaps on cable networks, too.

Out of town pool report #8 — Bullhead City rally concludes

?POTUS stepped off AF1 at 12:27 p.m. local as Lee Greenwood played (at a truly ungodly decibel level). He walked the short distance across the tarmac, flanked by two limousines rolling slowly, and took the stage and began speaking at 12:29.

He finished at 1:43 and we are making our way back to the plane as the music blares.

Trump was quite pleased with the crowd, which stretched back a good way, and asked whether people were from Arizona or Nevada.

He remarked several times about the wind, at one point donning a red hat and then later noting that the teleprompters were "moving like crazy."

About 25 minutes into the rally, the sound of fighter jets rumbled overhead. Trump remarked that the planes were "four days old" because he'd gotten more funding for the Pentagon. Then, as he continued to pause for the booming noise — "I love that sound," he said — one jet left a streak of several white lines in the sky, delighting Trump, who instructed the press to take note. Unclear what that was, where the jets came from, etc. but Trump claimed they were government F-35s.

The microphone also malfunctioned a few times, returning piercing feedback. Trump joked the first time not to pay whoever set it up and the second time that it was set up by "a RINO."

Today's video element, which worked with no glitches, was a video featuring Democratic governors praising the administration's help during the early months of the pandemic that abruptly segued to clips of Biden's less cogent statements. "I personally don't think he's a nice guy," Trump added after it finished, explaining "if he were nice, I probably wouldn't put that up."

The WiFi was again non-existent in the press file and the cell coverage no better.

Thanks to co-pooler Alex Leary for sending out the Kayleigh McEnany statement on Miles Taylor in pool report #7.

Out of town pool report #9 — rolling for Phoenix

POTUS walked off stage and across the tarmac with a bit of a bounce in his step, flanked by the two limousines and followed closely for a bit by Mark Meadows, who, like POTUS, wore a red MAGA hat.

Trump waved several times from the top of the stairs to the crowd before stepping aboard at 1:48 p.m.

Also spotted boarding AF1 moments earlier was Sen. Martha McSally.

Cabin TV set to Fox News currently showing alerts about the Dow and Nasdaq "plunge."

Rolling now and about to be wheels up for Phoenix Goodyear (GYR) and rally number two.

Out of town pool report #10 — Phoenix arrival

?AF1 was wheels down at Phoenix (GYR) at 2:36 p.m. local time after an uneventful 36-minute flight and taxied past the dozens of out of service airliners that sit on the tarmac.

Like the first, this rally is set up just off the tarmac. Pool moving into place now.

[APP Note: Report #11 does not exist or was not received by the APP.]

Out of town pool report #12 — Phoenix rally ends

?Trump concluded his remarks at 4:06 p.m. Pacific after one hour and eight minutes. He danced a bit on stage to YMCA, pointing and pumping his fists before heading back to the tarmac and waking maybe 1,000 feet or so to the plane, the SUVs rolling slowly alongside.

He stepped up the main stairs and on board at 4:13 without stopping to talk.

Pool boarding now and will be wheels up shortly for Miami.

Also, a new handout on our seats:

Rally snippets:

In addition to Senators Lee and Paul, whose first row presence I noted in the last pool report, Nigel Farage was also in the group at the front of the stage.

Forty or so minutes into the rally, Trump called Sen. Martha McSally up to make her case for re-election, telling her "you've got one minute," a time allotment she tried to stick to.

Then he called Paul, Lee and Rep. Kevin McCarthy — "he's going to replace Crazy Nancy!" — up to speak (with no time limit).

McCarthy, looking to excite the crowd with a vision of himself receiving the gavel from Pelosi in January if Republicans take the House majority, said of the gavel "I won't bang her with it," explaining he would bang it "to end socialism."

Then Trump called up Farage, who called the president "the single most resilient and bravest person I have ever met in my life" and declared that voters will be electing not just a president but the leader of the free world.

"You are voting for the only current leader in the free world who has the guts to stand up for the nation state, to fight for patriotism, to fight against globalism," Farage said.

Earlier, Trump also referenced the identification today of "Anonymous" as Miles Taylor, the former DHS chief of staff.

"It was just revealed, you know this Anonymous...he turned out to be a low level staffer," Trump said, calling Taylor "a sleaze-bag who never worked in the White House... A nobody, a disgruntled employee who was removed from his job...they tell me for incompetence...

"You know where he works now? CNN!"

"The whole thing was just one more hoax from the Washington swamp. In my opinion, this guy, he should be prosecuted," he said, prompting a "Drain the swamp!" chant.

He also played the same video from the Bullhead City rally, the mix of governors' testimonials on pandemic response and Biden bloopers.

POTUS also referenced Philadelphia, which he claimed was "ransacked by violent mobs of Biden-supporters for the second night in a row"; and he again mentioned the Tony Bobulinski interview with Tucker Carlson Tuesday night, complaining again about there being "not one mention" in the mainstream press.

While Trump got going on stage, UFC President Dana White wandered around with Jared Kushner and climbed up on a riser behind the press pen to survey the crowd.

[APP Note: Report #13 does not exist or was not received by the APP.]

Out of town pool report #14 — motorcade rolling from MIA

?POTUS stepped off AF1 at 10:57 p.m. into a very steamy Miami evening and walked down the main stairs, followed closely by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

They quickly got into the waiting limousine and pool scrambled into vans.

Rolling at 11 sharp to Doral.

Out of town pool report #15 — Doral arrival and lid

?Motorcade pulled through the gates to Trump National Doral at 11:11 p.m.

Travel/photo lid called at 11:14 as we wait to roll out to the RON.

Goodnight, all.

Out of town pool report #7

?On behalf of Eli (very bad reception here in Arizona)

>From Kayleigh McEnany:

"President Trump is focused on leading the great American comeback and keeping his promises to the American people. This low-level, disgruntled former staffer is a liar and a coward who chose anonymity over action and leaking over leading. He was ineffective and incompetent during his time as DHS Chief of Staff which is why he was promptly fired after only serving in this role for a matter of weeks. It is appalling a low-ranking official would be granted anonymity and it is clear the New York Times is doing the bidding of Never-Trumpers and Democrats. The American people elected President Trump to carry out his vision for the country, not an arrogant deep state operative trying to put their agenda ahead of the President's America First policies."