Pool Reports of September 18, 2020

Pool Report #1

Calling your attention to two additions to the President's schedule:At 11:45 a.m., he will meet in the Oval Office with Kuwait's Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. That currently is closed press. At 2 p.m., he will come to the Briefing Room to hold a press conference.

In-town Pool Report #2

There is a lunch lid until 2 p.m.

In town pool report #3

[APP Note: No additional text was included in this report.]

In town pool 4

The president came out at 3:09.

In town pool report 5

Press conference concluded at 3:39, two minutes after the sound of Marine One landing on South Lawn. Leaving for South Lawn.

In town pool report 6

Multiple questions. Twice voiced unhappiness with Christopher Wray but would not say if he plans to replace him. Took 8 minutes of questions.

in town pool report 7 - South Lawn

The president answered seven questions on the South Lawn, taking 7 minutes and 45 seconds. Most of the answers trod familiar ground, with the exception of when he was asked if he plans to replace Christopher Wray from the FBI. Here was his first response:

"I disagreed with him on those, I think, very important points. Obviously, China is at the top of the list. And I think Russia and North Korea and many other countries can be talked about but China would be at the top of the list and I don't know why that was not mentioned. And obviously Antifa. These are thugs, these are bad people. These are people who hurt a lot of people, a lot of good people... The fact is that Antifa is a bad group. And they are criminals and they are anarchists and they are agitators and they are looters and rioters and everything else. They are bad and when a man doesn't say that, that bothers me. I wonder why he is not saying that...."

"I think Bill Barr has been incredible. He is strong, Bill Barr is strong and he's tough and he is smart and I think he agrees with me on this stuff..."

Given a second chance to say if he plans to remove Wray from his FBI post, the president responded:

"We're looking at a lot of different things. And I did not like his answers yesterday and I'm not sure he liked them either. I'm sure he probably would agree with me. Antifa is bad, really bad. And if you look at it, who is the real problem? The big problem is China. And we can have others also and I'm not excluding anybody. But the big problem is China and why he doesn't want to say that, that certainly bothers me."

The other questions involved Tik Tok, crime, the pandemic, opening the Canadian border and Covid deaths. See the transcript.

Travel pool #1: JBA

Marine One wheels down at JBA at 16:21.

POTUS emerged from Marine One after thanking the pilots. He waved to pool and went straight up Air Force One steps pausing at top to wave.

Wheels up imminently.

We are bound for Bemidji, Minnesota, birthplace of Paul Bunyan, for a rally.

Spotted travelling: Hope Hicks, Stephen Miller, Dan Scavino.

Our conveyance is the small AF1 this afternoon, tail sign 90016.

Travel pool report #2: Bemidji

Wheels down at Bemidji airport at 18:01 CDT

Air Force One was wheels up from JBA at 16:34 Eastern.

Brian Morganstern deputy White House press secretary came back during the flight with answers to some questions.

On TikTok:
"The president believes we are getting close."

On UN speech:
"We are looking to do something from the White House, possibly live to tape."

On speech tonight:
"You can expect the president to comment that the last administration's policies destroyed the iron ore business and that this president's policies reactivated it.

"The president believes he will win Minnesota.

On Biden Duluth speech:
"The president's reaction is that it was weak.

"I will also say you can expect the president to talk about policies relating to refugees tonight. He will contrast his policies with Biden, the last administration."

On the CR:
"We'll be looking at it."

Travel pool report #3: Potus takes stage

Pool is set up off to the right of the president's podium. We were hustled into position without seeing POTUS deplane.

>From this position it is difficult to estimate crowd size, but it is the biggest this pooler has seen at hangar rallies. We are set up outside the hangar, with people packed very closely together, mostly standing, and without masks. Two giant Make America Great banners are either side of the podium.

Usual campaign playlist. Sweet Child o' Mine is blasting out which was just cut short

Potus takes stage at 18:15 local to Lee Greenwood.

Speech is streamed in usual places. Pool will add color where needed.

Travel pool report #4: No RBG so far

Word of RBG reached pool about 10 minutes or so into speech. POTUS was already on the podium speaking and has not addressed her death.

He is now up to 73 minutes.

Obv we will bring you anything as and when it comes.

Travel pool report #5: wrapping up

?Pool being hustled out after 95 minutes. Potus wrapping up.
No mention of RBG yet.

Some bits:

His speech went in on refugees.
"Every family in Minnesota needs to know Sleepy Joe's plan to flood your state with an influx of refugees from Somalia, from other places, all over the planet," he said to boos.
"Biden has promised a 700 percent increase in the manitfesto with Bernie ... on the importation of refugees from the most dangerous places in the world including Yemen, Syria and Somalia."

"Your state will be overrun and destroyed if Biden and the radical left win,"
Compared demonstrators taking down statues with ISIS
"They're ripping down our past, taking down our history."
China
"If Biden wins china wins. It's very simple. In contrast I rescued the Minnesota Iron Range."

On ABC townhall. Says it went well
"You know what i call it? Debate prep.

On world affairs
"I've learned a lot as president, but one thing I've learned is president Xi is sharp."

"I had a great relationship and now I feel different."
"Putin is sharp as can be. Kim Jong-un, we would have been in a war."

On Biden saying he should have moved faster on Covid-19
"Everyone agrees if I had not banned highly infected Wuhan, we would have had hundreds of thousands more deaths."

Travel pool report #6: setting up

?Pool is setting up under AF1 wing. Stand by

Travel pool report #7: Potus on RBG

?POTUS spoke briefly under AF1 before boarding at 20:15 cdt

"She just died? I didn't know that.She led an amazing life, what else can you say?

Whether you agree or not ... she led an amazing life."

Travel pool report #8: POTUS statement on RBG

AF1 wheels down at JBA at 23:31.

Brian Morganstern passes the following along. Original attached as image.

Statement from the President on the passing of Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

"Today, our Nation mourns the loss of a titan of the law. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg served more than 27 years as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States -- notably just the second woman to be appointed to the Court. She was a loving wife to her late husband, Martin, and a dedicated mother to her two children.

"Renowned for her brilliant mind and her powerful dissents at the Supreme Court, Justice Ginsburg demonstrated that one can disagree without being disagreeable toward one's colleagues or different points of view. Her opinions, including well-known decisions regarding the legal equality of women and the disabled, have inspired all Americans, and generations of great legal minds.

"A fighter to the end, Justice Ginsburg battled cancer, and other very long odds, throughout her remarkable life. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Ginsburg family and their loved ones during this difficult time. May her memory be a great and magnificent blessing to the world."

In addition, slightly fuller quote from POTUS under AF1 wing before departure when he was asked about RBG's death.

"I didn't know that. You're telling me for the first time.
"She led an amazing life. What else could you say, she was an amazing woman. Whether you agree or not, she was an amazing woman who led an amazing life."

POTUS ignored questions on what his plan was for Supreme Court vacancy. This latter was missing from pool report #7 as it was a scramble to send anything at all with limited comms on small AF1. Apologies.

Travel report #9: Marine One wheels up

?POTUS deplaned at 23:41 and made straight for Marine One without stopping to talk.

Marine One wheels up at 23:45.

Handing off to in-town pool.

God speed.

Pool Report #8 - South Lawn Return

?Marine One arrived at 11:54 pm and touched down two minutes later. POTUS emerged at 11:58 pm and walked directly into the residence. He looked at the pool twice, gave a couple of those waist-level waves but ignored questions about whether or when he would nominate a replacement for the late Justice Ginsburg.

As the pool assembled, flags at the White House and Eisenhower Executive Office Building had been lowered to half-staff and were flapping in a brisk, chilly breeze. Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany confirmed in an earlier tweet that the flags were lowered out of respect for Justice Ginsburg, whom she called "a trailblazer for women."

A lid has been called. Goodnight to all.