Pool Reports of September 27, 2023

Out-of-town pool report #1: Checking in

Good morning from San Francisco.

A brief recap of today's schedule:

POTUS will hold a meeting of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology at 11:30 am local time. There will be a pool spray of his remarks, which will be streamed on the White House website.

POTUS will also attend a pair of campaign receptions at 2:45 and 5:15 pm before departing for Phoenix at 6:35 pm.

Out-of-town pool report #2: Pool gathering

The pool is gathering for the president's remarks to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

A reminder that his remarks will be streamed on the White House website. I will not be sending quotes but will provide color.

Out-of-town pool report #3: Participants

From the White House:

The President is holding a meeting with the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), which develops recommendations on science, technology, and innovation policy in San Francisco, California.

Participants
Arati Prabhakar, Co-Chair of PCAST, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, & Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
Maria Zuber, Co-Chair of PCAST, Vice President for Research & E. A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dan Arvizu, Former Chancellor, New Mexico State University; Former Director, National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Former Chair, National Science Board
John Banovetz, Executive Vice President, Chief Technology Officer & Environmental Responsibility, 3M Company
Sue Desmond-Hellmann, Former CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Inez Fung, Professor of Atmospheric Science, University of California, Berkeley
Andrea Goldsmith, Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science & the Arthur LeGrand Doty Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Princeton University
Laura Greene, Chief Scientist, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory; Marie Krafft Professor of Physics, Florida State University
Paula Hammond, Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering & Member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Eric Horvitz, Chief Scientific Officer, Microsoft
Joe Kiani, Chairman and CEO, Masimo
Jon Levin, Philip H. Knight Professor and Dean of the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University
Saul Perlmutter, 2011 Nobel Laureate in Physics; Franklin W. and Karen Weber Dabby Professor of Physics and Director of the Berkeley Institute for Data Science, University of California, Berkeley; Senior Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Terry Tao, Professor & James and Carol Collins Chair in the College of Letters and Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles

Speaking Program
Arati Prabhakar, Co-Chair of PCAST, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
Maria Zuber, Co-Chair of PCAST, Vice President for Research and E. A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The President

Out-of-town pool report #4: POTUS meeting

The pool was escorted into the room at 12:06 pm.

POTUS was seated at the head of a U-shaped table with 14 other people. Behind him was a large blue screen with the name of the council in large white lettering. Off to the left were four American flags. To the right were four California state flags.

POTUS began to speak at 12:13. He cautioned against inflammatory rhetoric regarding COVID vaccines and expressed the need for reasonable and responsible Artificial Intelligence innovation.

Asked by pool if he thought a government shutdown was inevitable, Biden said: "I don't think anything is inevitable.

The pool was escorted out of the room at 12:22 pm.

Out-of-town pool report #4(a): Shutdown question

When pool followed up and asked if anything could be done to avoid a shutdown, Biden responded: "If I knew that, I would've already done it."

Out-of-town pool report #5: Rolling

Motorcade is rolling at 2:49 pm to the next event, which is a campaign reception.

Out-of-town pool report #6: Arrival at event

Motorcade arrived at 3:05 pm at a private residence, which is the venue for the campaign reception. From the street, there are spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin Headlands.

The downtown streets were filled with spectators taking photos and videos as motorcade passed. One man holding a huge American flag gave a thumbs up.

From the White House:

Traveling with the President via motorcade:

Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Mike Donilon, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President
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
Emmy Ruiz, Assistant to the President & Director of the Office of Political Strategy & Outreach
Ben LaBolt, Assistant to the President & Director of Communications
Curtis Ried, Deputy Assistant to the President & NSC Chief of Staff & Executive Secretary
John McCarthy, Deputy Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the Counselor to the President
Travis Dredd, Special Assistant to the President & Trip Director
Krystal Ortiz, Special Assistant to the President & Director of Political Engagement
Rachel Chiu, Special Assistant to the President & Chief of Staff for the Office of Political Strategy & Outreach

Out-of-town pool report #7: Event details

On Behalf of the Biden-Harris campaign:

The President is attending a campaign reception hosted by Tom Steyer and Kat Taylor.

Speaking Program
Tom Steyer
The President

Out-of-town pool report #8: POTUS remarks

POTUS entered a room in the residence at 3:31 pm. Roughly 20 people are here, most of them seated in a semicircle around the podium where POTUS is speaking.

Steyer spoke first and thanked POTUS for the "spectacular job" he's doing. He praised the administration's achievements and gave a shoutout to them for working with the private sector.

POTUS started to speak at 3:34 pm.

Much of his remarks focused on climate change. He spoke of the Inflation Reduction Act's climate provisions but said there's a lot more to do.

On a possible shutdown: Biden said it would be "disastrous."

"We made a deal," he said, stressing that he personally negotiated with the speaker to make sure the U.S. didn't renege on debt. "Now they come along and say … we didn't mean it."

"The fact is that I think that the speaker is making a choice between the speakership and American interest."

Pool was ushered out of the room at 3:41 pm as POTUS started to take questions from the audience.

Out-of-town pool report #9: Rolling

Motorcade is rolling at 4:19 pm to the next campaign reception.

Out-of-town pool report #10: Arrival at event site

Motorcade arrived at The Century Club of California, site of the second campaign reception, at 4:33 pm.

On Behalf of the Biden-Harris campaign:

The President is attending a campaign reception hosted by Gretchen Sisson and Andrew McCollum.

Speaking Program
Gretchen Sisson
The President

Out-of-town pool report #11: POTUS remarks at reception

POTUS entered what appears to be a large auditorium at 5:18 pm to cheers and a standing ovation.

About 125 people are in attendance., including California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis.

Biden was introduced by two young boys in suits who donned sunglasses, a nod to Biden's affinity for his trademark aviators.

Biden began his remarks at 5:22 and finished at 5:43.

Some excerpts:

—He thanked VP Harris for her leadership. "She has done a remarkable job," citing protecting women's freedoms and combatting gun violence. He said they have lunch once a week.

—He told the story of how he decided to run for president after Charlottesville and said he was stunned by Trump's comment that there were very fine people on both sides.

—"We're running because our most important freedoms — the right to choose, the right to vote, the right to be who you are, to love who you love — has been attacked and shredded."

—Trump and MAGA Republicans praise Putin, he said. "I will not. I think it's outrageous." He vows to stand up to the Russian leader.

— Biden said he was running in part because "Political violence in America is never, never, never, never acceptable."

—"Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans are determined to destroy American democracy because they want to break down institutional structures."

—On a possible government shutdown: He said funding the government was one of "the most basic responsibilities of the Congress and it's time for the Republicans in the House of Representatives to stand up and do their job."

Out-of-town pool report #12: Rolling to airport

Motorcade is rolling to the airport at 6:01 pm.

Out-of-town pool report #13: Airport arrival

Motorcade arrived at San Francisco International

Airport at 6:23 pm.

POTUS boarded immediately without stopping for questions.

We are wheels up shortly for Phoenix.

From the White House:

Traveling with the President aboard Air Force One en route to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport:

Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Mike Donilon, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President
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
Emmy Ruiz, Assistant to the President & Director of the Office of Political Strategy & Outreach
Ben LaBolt, Assistant to the President & Director of Communications
Curtis Ried, Deputy Assistant to the President & NSC Chief of Staff & Executive Secretary
John McCarthy, Deputy Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the Counselor to the President
Marc Gustafson, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for the White House Situation Room
Travis Dredd, Special Assistant to the President & Trip Director
Krystal Ortiz, Special Assistant to the President & Director of Political Engagement
Rachel Chiu, Special Assistant to the President & Chief of Staff for the Office of Political Strategy & Outreach

Out-of-town pool report #14: Phoenix arrival

AF1 landed at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport at 8:05 pm after an uneventful flight from San Francisco.

There were no visitors to the press cabin during the flight.

Out-of-town pool report #15: Phoenix airport departure

POTUS walked down the stairs of AF1 at 8:15 pm and talked briefly with Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, who was there to greet him, before getting into the Beast.

We are rolling at 8:19 pm.

Out-of-town pool report #16: RON arrival

Motorcade arrived at the RON at 8:32 pm.

Pool did not see POTUS exit the Beast.

Out-of-town pool report #17: Lid

The White House called a lid at 8:35 pm.