Pool Reports of September 2, 2022

In-town pool report 1

Hi all,

Happy Friday. Lissa with The Boston Globe here, I'll be your in-town pooler for the day.

Passing along this guidance we just received:

"Today at 1:30 PM, the President will meet with the leadership of legacy Civil Rights organizations. The meeting will be closed press. Participants include:

• Rev. Al Sharpton, President, National Action Network
• Melanie Campbell, President and CEO, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
• Thelma Daley, National Chair and President, National Council of Negro Women
• Damon Hewitt, President and Executive Director, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
• Derrick Johnson, President and CEO, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
• Marc Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League
• Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund
• Maya Wiley, President and CEO, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
• Former Congressman Cedric Richmond"

In-town pool report 2: American Rescue Plan event

Hey all,

We're in place for the ARP event in the South Court Auditorium but don't have a sense of start time as of 11:15 a.m. Sec. Raimondo was briefly at one of the desks but then left the room.

I won't be taking quotes but will note start and end times in a later report for anyone who needs them.

We also received this guidance: "The Press Briefing will start following President Biden discussing American Rescue Plan investments."

In-town pool report 3: two-minute warning

Got two-minute warning for ARP event at 11:21 a.m.

In-town pool report 4: American Rescue Plan event notes

President Biden entered the room, went directly to his desk, and started speaking at 11:23 a.m. EST.

Sec. Raimondo sat at her own desk across the stage from him; it dawned on POTUS during the event that he was supposed to have let her speak first.

Flagging that Sen. Joe Manchin appeared virtually and was warmly acknowledged by POTUS.

POTUS opening remarks ended at 11:37 and then Raimondo took over. He listened intently as she spoke. Then they chatted with the virtual participants.

Biden was invited to an auto show in Detroit in two weeks, to which he responded "I'll be there" because he is "a car guy." He also called on Manchin again during the conversation.

POTUS wrapped the event up after that interaction. Event ended at 12:13. Biden answered a question on threat to democracy, interaction and answer to follow.

Below was passed along by the WH:

"Background: Today, President Biden and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will virtually convene with the winners of the $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge, the largest regional economic development competition in decades, which was funded by his American Rescue Plan. The virtual participants represent 21 regional coalitions spanning 24 states will each receive between $25 and $65 million in funding to implement multiple projects that uniquely address their region's economic challenges and leverages their assets. During the event, the President and Secretary Raimondo will highlight three of the winning coalitions – Detroit Regional Partnership Foundation, Southwestern Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative, and Greater New Orleans Development Foundation -- and discuss how these grants will provide critical and historic funding directly to community coalitions to invest in new infrastructure, research and development, and workforce development programs while creating thousands of good-paying jobs, supporting workers, and prioritizing equity.

Press release and full list of winners: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/09/02/...

Participating with the President in the American Rescue Plan Challenge Event:

Administration participants:

• Secretary Gina Raimondo, Department of Commerce

BBB-RC Winners (appearing virtually):

• Detroit Regional Partnership Foundation
  
  • Maureen Donohue Krauss, President and CEO (Speaker)
  • Quentin L. Messer, Jr.
  • Edward Staebler

• Southwestern Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative
  
  • Stefani Pashman, CEO of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development (Speaker)
  • Farnam Jahanian, President of Carnegie Mellon University
  • Rich Fitzgerald, County Executive, Allegheny County
  • Majestic Lane, Chief Equity Office, Allegheny Conference on Community Development

• Other winning coalitions will be represented on screen in the South Court Auditorium, appearing virtually from their regions

In-town pool report 5: Biden comments on threat to democracy

Apologies, POTUS was a little unclear in my recording, but what's in quotations is verbatim. Any questions let me know.

Reporter: "Do you consider all Trump supporters to be a threat to the country?"

POTUS: Come on look guys ... I don't consider any Trump supporter to be a threat to the country. I do think anyone who calls for the use of violence, fails to condemn violence when it's used, refuses to acknowledge an election has been won, insists upon changing the way in which we rule and count votes,

"that is a threat to democracy. Democracy. Everything we stand for, everything we stand for rests on the platform of democracy. People voted for Donald Trump and support him now, they weren't voting for attacking the Capitol. They weren't voting for overruling an election. They were voting for a philosophy he put forward. So I am not talking about anything other than, it is inappropriate — and it is not only happening here but other parts of the world — a failure to recognize and condemn violence whenever it's used for these purposes. Failure to condemn an attempt to manipulate electoral outcomes. Failure to acknowledge when elections are won or lost."

In-town pool report 6: Lunch lid

Lunch lid until 2:45 p.m.

In-town pool report 7: Timing update

Just got word: "The President’s Marine One departure from the South Lawn has been pushed to 3:30PM.

The new gather time is 3:20PM at the Palm Room Doors."

In-town pool report 8: Departure

POTUS and FLOTUS shook hands with people who were lined up for departure before boarding Marine One at 3:40 p.m. He waved to press but did not come over for questions. Marine One departed White House at 3:45 p.m.

In-town pool report 9: Lid

Got it at 3:59 p.m. Have a nice weekend, thanks for following along