Pool Reports of September 21, 2020

In-town pool report #1 / good morning

Good morning from the White House where things are quiet, at least in scheduling terms, with no official events planned ahead of the president's 3pm departure for two events in Ohio today. Poolers are undergoing covid tests. --

In-town pool report #2 / Kudlow gaggle

Larry Kudlow just spoke to reporters in the driveway for less than 5 minutes after a TV hit. C-Span already has video up (https:/www.c-span.org/video/?476053-1/larry-kudlow-remarks-reporters) . Quick highlights:

Q: Why are the markets down?

LK: Always hard to know day-to-day but "I do think however there's some worries that Britain might shut down." The US is in a "much better position, thankfully. We've regained control of both of the cases and fatalities. But I think people are worried about Britain and maybe the rest of Europe as well."

Q: Will the economy continue to improve without a stimulus package soon?

LK: "Yes. We are in a self-sustaining, strong V-shaped recovery," although "that battle's not over yet." CARES 2 "has some elements that could help" but "I do not think the recovery is contingent on that assistance package."

Q: Democrats will unveil today a CR without farm aid and nutrition assistance. What is WH view?

LK: "We do prefer additional farm aid in the CR.... Most of all we want a clean CR to keep the government open. I don't want to get to know [sic, apparently] those negotiations."

Q: Will the SCOTUS pick suck up oxygen from getting a phase 4 package done?

LK: "It doesn't have to.... No, I don't believe so."

In-town pool report #3 / Lunch lid until 1pm

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

In-town pool report #4 / Gathering for departure

?Pool has gathered at the South Portico for POTUS's departure to Ohio, scheduled for 3pm.

In-town pool report #5 / still waiting — POTUS sighting

?Pool is still waiting for departure. POTUS was just seen walking the colonnade followed at a distance by perhaps a dozen people, most hard to identify, and into the Oval with national security adviser Robert O'Brien.

Marine One has just touched down.

In-town pool report #6 / Trump talking

?POTUS emerged from the Oval at 4:03 pm and is taking questions.

In-town pool report #7 / Trump quotes

?considering 5 women for SCOTUS

has spoken to some and will be meeting in person with some.

pick will "probably" be Saturday.

"I'd rather see it all take place before the election"

just taped his UN speech: "a strong message on China"

would not answer who poisoned Navalny. "we'll be talking about that at another time."

In-town pool report #8 / more Trump - TikTok deal

?"That's working it's way through. I've given a preliminary ok."

"We have to have total security."

In-Town Pool Report #9 / Marine One departs

?POTUS spoke for about 7 minutes and then boarded Marine One, which was wheels up at 4:13pm en route to Joint Base Andrews and then Ohio.

Fuller gaggle quotes to come.

In-Town Pool Report #9 / Fuller POTUS departure quotes

?Please check all against the official transcript. And CSPAN should have video up soon if not already.

Topics were SCOTUS / UNGA / Navalny / TikTok / something inaudible re: cities

"Five women are being vetted very carefully" for SCOTUS

Pick will come "probably Saturday, but Friday or Saturday."

Says he will meet with some SCOTUS candidates in person.
Q Will he meet all five?
"I don't know. I doubt it."

Said he has already spoken to candidates "today and yesterday."

Q Better to have a vote on your nomination before the election or after?

"I'd much rather have a vote, before the election, because there's a lot of work to be done and I'd much rather have it — we have plenty of time to do it. And there's really a lot of time. So let's say I make the announcement on Saturday — there's a great deal of time before the election. That'll be up to Mitch in the Senate. I think it sends a good signal. It's solidarity and lots of other things. I'm just doing my constitutional obligation. I have an obligation to do this. So I would rather see it before the election."

Q Worried about reluctant GOP Senators?

"I would think that that would be very bad for them. I think their voters, the people that voted for them, put them there because of a certain ideology or a certain feel, and they don't want to have somebody do that. I think it's very bad if they do that."

Q What makes you think the reported last wishes of Justice Ginsburg were made up?

"It just sounds to me like it would be somebody else. I don't believe — it could be and it might not be. It's just too convenient."

Says he just taped his speech for the UN General Assembly this week. "A strong message on China and basically you'll see it tomorrow."

Q Are you leaning towards one candidate over another?
"I have one or two that I think — they're all outstanding, but I have one or two that I have in mind."

Q Who do you think poisoned Alexey Navalny?
"Uhh.. we'll talk about that at another time."

Q Will you meet with Barbara Lagoa when you're in Miami?

"I may. She's highly thought of. She's got a lot of support. I'm getting a lot of phone calls from a lot of people. She has a lot of support. I don't know her but I hear she's outstanding."

Inaudible question about Seattle and NYC, answer involved Portland and DOJ.

Q Final decision on TikTok?

"That's working its way through. I've given a preliminary okay."
"Larry Ellison is a great genius at that kind of thing. The technology is incredible. So if we can save it we'll save it, and if we can't we'll cut it off."
"We have to have total security, that's the only thing."

In-Town Pool Report #10 / return to WH + lid

?Marine One touched down on the South Lawn at 10:46pm. President Trump walked past the press with a wave but did not stop to talk.

We have a lid. Good night.

Travel pool 1 —leaving JBA

?Marine One landed at JBA under clear sunny skies at 4:22 pm., about an hour behind schedule.
The president boarded Air Force One with a wave to the pool. He was followed by aides including Hope Hicks, Robert O'Brien, Stephen Miller and Dan Scavino.

We are ready for departure to Ohio, for a speech in Dayton on American workers and an airport campaign rally in Toledo. You'll find several web sites streaming the first event.

Travel pool 2 — arrival in Dayton

?Air Force One landed at the Dayton airport at 5:34 pm after an uneventful flight with no visitors to the press cabin. (We're on the big plane).

Moving shortly to event.

Travel pool 3 -greeters

>From the WH –

The President is met by:

Governor Mike DeWine (Aboard Air Force One)
Governor of Ohio

Bob Paduchik (Aboard Air Force One)
Senior Advisor for Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.

Speech to start soon at airport hangar, where there are what looks like more than 2,000 people. Most not wearing masks.

Travel pool 4 -- wrapping up Dayton event

?The president's stage was facing the open airport hangar on a beautiful evening, with a boisterous crowd. There were large blue "Make America Great Again!" signs in the hangar.
Some highlights:
Big cheers from the crowd when Trump said he's working hard to push through a new Supreme Court justice. More applause for a woman nominee than a man, when the president took an informal poll.
"It will be a woman," the president said.
He said Biden has inflicted "terrible damage" on Ohio's economy during his decades in Washington.
"We have a debate coming up and who knows? He's much more experienced," he said of Biden.
"On Nov. 3rd, we must turn the page forever on the failed, corrupt political class. Biden is a die-hard globalist. The workers of America will never forget Biden's economic treachery."
He said NAFTA caused the loss of tens of thousands of jobs in the Dayton area, and Biden "should be begging for your forgiveness.""Joe's got no spirit. He's dead as a rock."
Referring to criticism of the president's personality, Mr. Trump quipped, "Who the hell cares about personality?"
Got probably the biggest cheer of the event when he mentioned Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.
Of the Durham investigation at the Justice Department, he said, "I'm trying like hell to stay out of it."
He said the uncertainty about the election is a "headwind" against the stock market.
At one point, referring to his freelancing at the Dayton event, the president said, "This is supposed to be a speech. I haven't exactly used it too much."

Pool is moving back back to AF1. Leaving shortly for Toledo and campaign rally.

Travel pool 5 — Toledo arrival

?Air Force One landed at the airport in Toledo, Ohio, at 7:41 pm for an airport rally. Moving shortly to the event site.

Travel pool 6 -- Toledo rally starting

?The president got off Air Force One to loud cheers at the airport.
Event site has several bleachers, floodlights. Several thousand people here.
It's a cool breezy night with a crescent moon.

Travel pool 7 -- Toledo rally wrapping up

?Lots of MAGA and "This is a Peaceful Protest" signs, as well as "Fill That Seat."
The crowd is several times larger than the Dayton event, stretching well beyond the bleachers on the tarmac. hard to judge but it seems like a much higher percentage of mask-wearers at this rally.
About halfway through the rally, the president called up to the stage two Ohio high school football players, Brady Williams and Jarad Bentley, who were suspended from school for carrying a "thin blue line" flag and "thin red line" flag onto the football field before a game. One of them had his arm in a cast.
"You're doing great and everybody out here loves you," the president told them, joking that the Secret Service didn't approve of his gesture.

The president said if Biden is elected, Democrats will "destroy suburbia." He said 25-30 percent of suburban communities are minority, and they want safety, too.

Suburban men and women "better get smart" or they'll lose the American dream, he said.
He's looking at "five incredible people" for the Supreme Court seat. He said Biden won't release his list of potential nominees "because he knows they're too extreme."
"The only ones he can put in are far-left radicals," he said.He called Biden a "shameless phony" on trade.
said natural-gas production in Ohio has surged 63 percent since he took office, but Biden would stop fracking.
At one point Trump told the crowd, "I love you and you love me," and they began chanting "We love you."
"Nobody has done what we've done," he said. "I am the only thing standing between you and chaos, OK?"
Big cheers when he said he's proud that "we brought back the Big Ten and Ohio State" football.
He said Europe suffered "a big hit" today with a surge of coronavirus cases, and it affected the U.S. stock market.
He said Biden will "drain your Medicare" by giving away free health care to illegal aliens.

He's wrapping up his remarks, pool is packing up.

Travel pool 8 - leaving Toledo

?Before leaving Toledo, Trump waved to pool but didn't stop to talk. At 9:11 pm we are preparing for takeoff to return to JBA.

Travel pool 9 - return to JBA

?Air Force One landed at JBA at 10:19 pm after an uneventful flight with no visitors to the press cabin.
The president descended the stairs and boarded Marine One, which lifted off at 10:34 pm.

Handing over to in-town pool.