Pool Reports by Peter Baker, The New York Times
| Sent: | Reports: |
| September 10, 2023 07:10 IST |
Pre-positioned Pool Report #1 Raj Ghat New Delhi Sept. 10, 2023 Good morning. Your pool has been split up for the Raj Ghat event. A mini-pool of two of us is pre-positioned at the event site while the rest of the pool will be in the motorcade accompanying POTUS but not given access to the event. I'll be your mini-pooler from the site, where it's raining and humid. Everyone is required to surrender their shoes and wear slippers or go barefoot as they navigate the puddles. The relatively small press riser meant for media from 20 G20 members has no cover so we have found an alcove to shelter in for the next couple hours while we wait. The leaders will enter individually and greet PM Modi, then doff their shoes as well before making their way to the Gandhi Samadhi, covered with yellow, orange and white flowers with the eternal flame in the middle. The leaders will approach their own wreaths and adjust a ribbon. They will then listen to two of Gandhi's favorite hymns. It is expected to be a short ceremony and POTUS is not scheduled to speak. Each of the leaders will sign a wall before departing. Below find descriptions of Gandhi and Raj Ghat from signs at the entrance.
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| September 10, 2023 08:19 IST |
Pre-positioned Pool Report #2 Raj Ghat New Delhi Sept. 10, 2023 Based on a draft of the standing order, it looks like there will be about 40 leaders, including those from international organizations like the World Bank. If the draft stands, POTUS will be two positions to Modi's left (or the right from our angle), with Brazil's Lula between them. There is chanting over the sound system while we wait and the rain has mostly let up for now. A large sign visible through an entrance has a quote from Gandhi: "My life is my message." Here's a photo of the setup to give you a sense of it.
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| September 10, 2023 10:02 IST |
Pre-positioned Pool Report #3 Raj Ghat New Delhi Sept. 10, 2023 Modi brought the leaders in at 9:33 am local time, leading a procession to the memorial as chanting came over the loudspeakers. Modi, dressed in white, was flanked by POTUS, in a typical dark suit and tie, with the rest of the leaders following. Each of the leaders, including POTUS, had a beige scarf around their necks and wore light slippers. Taking position in front of the wreaths, POTUS stood two to Modi's left, with Brazil's Lula in between them. As the leaders made their way to their assigned places, POTUS chatted with PM Sunak to his left. The leaders then observed a moment of silence and began proceeding out at 9:38 am, again led by Modi. No scriptures were read that we heard nor did we see anyone sign a wall, so if those happened, I can't vouch for it. We're now in the motorcade at 9:53 am heading to the airport.
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| September 10, 2023 | [APP Note: Report #4 does not exist or was not received by the APP.] |
| September 10, 2023 10:40 IST |
Travel Pool Report #5 Aboard AF1 Sept. 10, 2023 AF1 is wheels up at 10:39 am local time for the 4 hour flight. KJP and Jon Finer are scheduled to gaggle during the flight. Per WH: Traveling with the President aboard Air Force One en route to Hanoi, Vietnam: Secretary Antony Blinken, Department of State Jen O'Malley Dillon, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff Jon Finer, Assistant to the President & Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Annie Tomasini, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President & Director of Oval Office Operations Karine Jean-Pierre, Assistant to the President & Press Secretary Vinay Reddy, Assistant to the President & Director of Speechwriting Ben LaBolt, Assistant to the President & Director of Communications Ryan Montoya, Assistant to the President & Director of Scheduling & Advance Ethan Rosenzweig, Acting Chief of Protocol Kurt Campbell, Deputy Assistant to the President & Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific John Kirby, Deputy Assistant to the President & NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications Travis Dredd, Special Assistant to the President & Trip Director Herbie Ziskend, Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Director of Communications Charlie Fromstein, NSC Director for Visits |
| September 10, 2023 15:45 ICT |
Travel Pool Report #6 Hanoi airport Sept. 10, 2023 AF1 landed at 3:40 p.m. local time. Jon Finer gaggled during the flight. Highlights: He defended the G20 declaration's language on Ukraine, hailed the strategic relationship to be sealed in Vietnam and suggested it was no surprise that Vietnam would still be making arms deals with its longtime partner Russia. On the G20: "This year' summit showed that the G20 can still drive solutions to the most pressing issues," he said. The president had an "ambitious agenda" and was pleased with progress in expanding World Bank and other international financing for development and infrastructure and with the agreement for the rail and shipping corridor from India to Europe. On the softer Ukraine language: He noted that the G20 leaders signed up the Bali language last year and have supported UN resolutions. "The joint statement issued yesterday builds on that to send an unprecedented and unified statement." POTUS is working to rally nations around the world against Russian aggression. "This statement is a major step forward in this effort." On Vietnam: The visit and announcement of a comprehensive strategic partnership will show that the United States and Vietnam are "critical partners at a critical time." "This is more than words. In a system like Vietnam's, it's a signal to their entire government, to their entire bureaucracy about the depth of cooperation and alignment with another country." "What you will see during our time there is this five-decade arc in the U.S.-Vietnam relationship that shows how far we've come, from conflict to normalization to the establishment of a comprehensive partnership in 2013 and now to this elevated status of partnership." On pullaisdes with other G20 leaders: POTUS was "very pleased" with MBS's support for the economic corridor but they had "no substantive conversation" during the weekend. POTUS did talk with the leaders of Indonesia and Nigeria. "We believe he had an interaction with just about every other leader of the G20." Except Sergey Lavrov and the Chinese premier. Finer said as far as he knew, POTUS did not talk with either of them. Nor did any other US official as far as he knew talk with Lavrov. He added that the fact that Lavrov represented Russia instead of Vladimir Putin underscored Russia's international isolation. "His own boss would not be present in this conversation," Finer said, showing Putin's "discomfort on the international stage." On Vietnam-Russia arms deal: It has to be looked at in context. "Vietnam has had a decades long relationship with Russia," Finer said, although the Americans sense an "increasing discomfort with that relationship." POTUS is working to convince not just Vietnam but a number of countries around the world to move away from Russia. "This is going to be a work in progess." On the Ukraine grain deal: "The ball really is in Russia's court." On Elon Musk turning off Starlink to limit Ukraine's ability to recapture Crimea: "We think access to Starlink has played an important role for the Ukrainians in the course of this conflict. We think they should continue to have that access." On prospect of a North Korea-Russia arms deal: "We have serious concerns about the prospect of North Korea potentially selling weapons to the Russian military." He added: "It is interesting to reflect on what it says when Russia goes around the world looking for partners" and " lands on North Korea. It may be the best, it may be the only option that it's got" with one or two exceptions. On selling Atacms: "I'm not taking anything off the table. We don't have a decision to announce on new capabilities." On Morocco: The US has offered to deploy search and rescue teams but so far Morocco has been preoccupied with its internal issues and not been taken up on it. The US has also offered to release money at the right point to help with the disaster. "The United States will be with them every step of the way when they're ready." On Iran's arrest of protesters: "Appalling and unfortunately not new." |
| September 10, 2023 16:12 ICT |
Travel Pool Report #7 Hanoi airport Sept. 10, 2023 POTUS disembarked from AF1 at 4:01 local pm followed by Tony Blinken down a jetway from the plane's higher door. They were treated to a red-carpeted greeting with Cymbidium orchids and an honor guard of about a dozen troops in white uniforms and high black boots. It was simple and straightforward and after just a few minutes we were in the motorcade and on our way. The weather is overcast and sweltering. Per the WH: Greeting the President upon arrival at Noi Bai International Airport: Ambassador Marc Knapper, Ambassador of the United States to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Ms. Melissa Bishop, Deputy Chief of the United States Mission to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam H.E. Mr. Le Hoai Trung, Head of the Commission for Foreign Relations of the Party of the Central Committee H.E. Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee H.E. Mr. Nguyen Quoc Dung, Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the United States Mr. Ha Kim Ngoc, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Nguyen Viet Dung, Director General of the State Protocol Department Mr. Le Chi Dung, Director General of the Americas Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. Nguyen Ky Son, Deputy Director General of the Americas Department, Central Foreign Affairs Commission |
| September 10, 2023 16:52 ICT |
Travel Pool Report #8 Hanoi Sept. 10, 2023 The motorcade ride was uneventful and proceeded at a relatively leisurely pace, perhaps because we landed earlier than scheduled. The tree-lined highway leading away from the airport had few people watching from the side and the usual assortment of security personnel spaced out and facing away from the road. There were more people once we crossed over a long bridge into the city, patches of a few dozen at first, then a few hundred here and there, finally thickening to steady crowds as we got closer to the palace. The crowds watched quietly and without reaction, in many cases holding up phones. No signs of any sort were spotted. In contrast to the ubiquitous Modi posters in Delhi, there were no banners or billboards reflecting the visit. The motorcade passed Ho Chi Minh's expansive burial place and arrived at the deep yellow palace around 4:44 pm local. |
| September 10, 2023 16:54 ICT |
Travel Pool Report #9 Hanoi Sept. 10, 2023 Per WH: The President is participating in a welcome ceremony hosted by General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng of the Communist Party of Vietnam. U.S. Delegation The President Vietnamese Delegation H.E. Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam |
| September 10, 2023 17:06 ICT |
Travel Pool Report # 10 Hanoi Sept. 10, 2023 POTUS was welcomed at a brief ceremony in front of the Presidential Palace by dozens of schoolchildren in uniforms on the steps waving American and Vietnamese flags while a series of honor guards were lined up with bayoneted rifles. POTUS stood at attention alongside General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng on a low-rise platform as a marching band played the national anthems, his hand on his heart for the US anthem. The honor guards then marched past, goose stepping as the band played martial music. Your pool is now back in the vans holding. |
| September 10, 2023 18:05 ICT |
Travel Pool Report # 11 Hanoi Sept. 10, 2023 POTUS joined the general secretary in a large wood-paneled conference room at the Communist Party headquarters, a building with a hammer and sickle on the front just across and down the street from the palace. The US and Vietnamese delegations sat across from each other at a long table with flowers strewn down the middle and a statue of Ho Chi Minh overlooking from the side along with 10 US and Vietnamese flags. To POTUS's right was Tony Blinken and to his right was John Kerry. There were 14 people on each side of the table. The general secretary, speaking through a translator, effusively welcomed POTUS and talked about how their meeting would be an important chance to improve cooperation. "May your visit to Vietnam be a great success," he said. He mentioned that POTUS in a letter in June had invited him to visit the US and thanked him. He also complimented POTUS. Here's the money quote: "You have nary aged a day and I would say you look even better than before." He added: "Every feature of you, Mr. President, is very much complimentary of your image." POTUS laughed appreciatively. POTUS opened saying, "It really is great to see you, general secretary," then launched into some of his familiar riffs about Irish poets and the current inflection point. "I think we have an enormous opportunity," he said, adding: "Vietnam and the United States are critical partners at what I would argue is a very critical time. I'm not saying that to be polite. I'm saying it because I mean it from the bottom of my heart." He mentioned supply chains and climate change and talked about "aspirations for a future of greater peace, greater security and greater prosperity." He added: "I'm convinced we can achieve it." And: "This can be the beginning of even a greater era of cooperation." Thanks to Geoff Earle and our fellow poolers for their help shagging quotes and especially to the US team for heroically making sure we got into the room despite local resistance. Sorry for delay, we're not getting consistent signal. Pool now holding in the lobby waiting for statements that will follow their meeting.
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| September 10, 2023 19:02 ICT |
Travel Pool Report # 12 Hanoi Sept. 10, 2023 Per WH: The President is participating in a meeting with General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng of the Communist Party of Vietnam. U.S. Manifest Vietnam Manifest |
| September 10, 2023 19:34 ICT |
Travel Pool Report # 13 Hanoi Sept. 10, 2023 POTUS and the general secretary emerged from their talks at 6:32 pm local time to make a couple scripted statements hailing the elevation of the relationship. Speaking from a flower-bedecked lectern in the lobby of the Communist Party headquarters, Trong said the US-Vietnam partnership has grown by "leaps and bounds" and was now "elevated to a new height." "Vietnam will continue to strengthen its ties to the US and other international partners in the spirit of Ho Chi Minh after Vietnam achieved its independence," he said. "Vietnam is a friend, a reliable partner and a responsible member of the international community," he added. POTUS, speaking from his own lectern, seconded the sentiment and referred to the evolution of the relationship since the war and the value of overcoming "the pain of the past." He cited John Kerry, who was among the advisers standing behind him, and John McCain ("I miss him"), who worked to normalize the relationship after their own service in the war. "Both men saw so clearly, as I and so many others did, how much we had to gain by working together to overcome a bitter past," he said. He talked about cooperation on issues like semiconductor supply chains, trade, investment, climate, clean energy, global health, cancer and HIV/AIDS and security including combating human trafficking. Neither man mentioned China explicitly though POTUS seemed to allude to the larger strategic context of the new partnership. "Vietnam is a critical power in the world and a bellwesther in this vital region," he said. But there was a notable disparity in one respect. Trong talked about the importance of "non-interference in domestic affairs" and respecting other nations' political systems while POTUS mentioned in passing that "I also raised human rights as a priority for both my administration and the American people." After his remarks, POTUS started to walk away as would be normal after such statements, but then Trong unexpectedly began speaking again as if to make sure he got the last word, urging journalists to go out and share the news. POTUS paused and listened but didn't return to the lectern to respond. Even as Trong was still speaking, a phalanx of Vietnamese security men in suits and ties took position like a football front line, blocking the view of POTUS. We briefly ran into Kerry on the way out of the building and he said it was an "important" day. He said he had been here recently working on a number of issues. He confirmed that he will join POTUS at the McCain memorial tomorrow. The motorcade left at 6:57 pm and arrived at the RON at 7:15 pm. Per WH: The President and General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng of the Communist Party of Vietnam are delivering remarks. Speaking Program |
| September 10, 2023 | [APP Note: Report #14 does not exist or was not received by the APP.] |
| September 11, 2023 00:38 ICT |
Travel Pool Report # 15 Hanoi Sept. 10, 2023 Per WH: At the G20 summit, President Biden spoke with leaders from the following countries, in no particular order: Canada |
Pool Reports below by Geoff Earle, Daily Mail
| Sent: | Reports: |
| September 10, 2023 09:08 IST |
Travel pool 1 - Motorcade rolling Good morning from New Delhi, where the out of town pool has been swept and COVID tested while pre-positioned pooler camped out at the Raj Ghat event in the rain. Pool is rolling in motorcade at 9:05 am. We did not see potus leave the RON. Travel pool is expected to remain in vehicles while Potus is taking part. Today's two-country sked below. 7:30 AM Out-of-Town Pool Call Time 8:00 AM THE PRESIDENT receives the Presidential Daily Briefing 9:00 AM THE PRESIDENT visits Raj Ghat Memorial with G20 Leaders 10:25 AM THE PRESIDENT departs New Delhi, India en route to Hanoi, Vietnam ICT 4:00 PM THE PRESIDENT arrives in Hanoi, Vietnam 4:40 PM THE PRESIDENT participates in a welcome ceremony hosted by General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng of the Communist Party of Vietnam 5:30 PM THE PRESIDENT participates in a meeting with General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng of the Communist Party of Vietnam 6:10 PM THE PRESIDENT and General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng of the Communist Party of Vietnam deliver remarks 7:30 PM THE PRESIDENT holds a press conference Briefing Schedule Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer aboard Air Force One en route to Hanoi, Vietnam |
| September 10, 2023 | [APP Note: Report #2 does not exist or was not received by the APP.] |
| September 10, 2023 09:59 IST |
Travel pool 3 - leaving site Motorcade started rolling away from the site at 9:53. Poolers did not see Potus. Ride to the airport is about 30 mins. |
Related Images
Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Pool Reports of September 10, 2023 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/364889