Vice Presidential Pool Reports of January 25, 2023

VPOTUS Travel Pool #1

Good afternoon from a rainy and cold Joint Base Andrews.

The VP arrived via motorcade at 1:42pm. She was handed an umbrella upon exiting the car and promptly climbed the stairs. She waved at the top of the stairs.

She did not stop to chat with the pool (perhaps due to the increasingly heavy rain), but the VP did come back and gaggle OTR before takeoff.

Wheels up at 1:55pm.

A reminder of today's schedule, via the VP's office:

At 1:45 PM ET, the Vice President will depart Joint Base Andrews en route to Los Angeles International Airport. Departure from Joint Base Andrews will be pooled press.

At 4:15 PM PT, the Vice President will arrive at Los Angeles International Airport. Arrival will be pooled press and open to pre-credentialed media.

At 5:20 PM PT, the Vice President will visit Monterey Park, California. While there, the Vice President will meet and offer condolences to the families of the victims. This meeting will be closed press. This visit will be pooled and open to pre-credentialed media.

VPOTUS Travel Report #2

After an uneventful (thought at times turbulent) flight, AF2 was wheels down at LAX at 4:03pm local time (7:03pm EST). It's sunny and 65 degrees on the ground.

The VP exited AF2 at 4:16pm - will tweet a video of her arrival.

Greeting the VP on the tarmac:

- Hilda Solis, Member, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
- Robert Luna, Los Angeles County Sheriff
- Mayor Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles)
- Mayor Henry Lo (D-Monterey Park)
- Jose Sanchez, Mayor Pro Tem, Monterey Park, CA
- Rob Bonta, Attorney General if California

Motorcade rolling at 4:22pm to Star Dance Studio in Monterey Park.

VP Travel Pool #3

After about 42 minutes on the road, the motorcade came to a stop about a block from the Star Dance Studio. Throughout the route, drivers stopped and got out of their vehicles to take photos and video of the motorcade passing.

Upon arrival, Pool quickly ran over to catch up with the VP, who is laying flowers at the memorial set up outside the dance studio.

VP exited car at 5:07pm carrying a large bouquet made up of white roses, yellow lilies, and palm fronds wrapped in white. She stopped at every memorial for each victim before laying the flowers at the gate.

She gave some brief remarks, and was asked if congress - specifically this congress - can act on gun legislation. VP said they can and should, and encouraged reporters covering her visit to continue holding elected officials accountable on the issue.

Otter of her remarks: https://otter.ai/u/VFJqvI9rCNCsGhawjvXnncZPqp0

Pool is loaded into the vans at 5:17pm and rolling to Langley Senior Center.

VP Travel Pool #4

After driving a few blocks from Star Dance Studio, pool arrived at Langley Senior Center at 5:21pm. The center is in a residential neighborhood, the pool did not see the VP exit the car, and cannot see the center itself.

Pool is told this is where the VP is meeting with some of the families of the victims.

Some more quotes from her remarks:

"We've already had in our country this year already, we're in January - it's estimated over 40 mass killings already. And tragically, we keep saying the same thing. I have had the unfortunate experience of visiting many of these sites sometimes within days of the massacre like this, we will always as a compassionate nation, mourn the loss train for those who survived and are recovering but we must also require that leaders in our nation will have the ability and the power and the responsibility to do something."

"We also need Congress to act because truly if we are to have a uniform approach, that is a statement of where we are as a nation, I think where we are on these issues, then Congress must so that we can take at least one step closer to what is right and what is reasonable. Understanding that to do so is to fully support the second amendment but to understand we need reasonable gun safety laws."

"Should they [Congress] do something? Yes. Will they do something? That is where we all must speak up and speak to our elected representatives about what we have a right to expect that they will do? In the interest of the safety and security and the wellbeing of people like those whose lives were ended…they can."

As always, check against the otter!

Pool is holding in the vans.

VP Travel Pool #5

Motorcade is rolling from Langley Senior Center at 7:34pm.

The VP's office tells your pooler that the VP met with 6 of the 11 victims families this evening during the over 2 hour stop.

Now rolling to VP's residence in Brentwood.

VP Travel Pool #6

Motorcade stopped at VP's residence at 8:08pm. Pool did not see the VP exit the vehicle. Pool is now heading back to the hotel.

That's all from me tonight - back tomorrow with more!

Local pool report #1

AF2 touched down at LAX a little after 4 p.m?. local time. VP Harris got off the plane at 4:16 p.m. and was greeted by LA Mayor Karen Bass, CA AG Rob Bonta, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna, Monterey Park Mayor Henry Lo and LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis.

We left the airport at 4:23 and are en route to Monterey Park.

I'll tweet some pics and quotes @LATSeema

Please text or email if you have any questions.

VP local pool report #2

After a quick motorcade on the 105, 710 and 10 freeways, VP Harris arrived at 5:08 p.m. at the Star Ballroom in Monterey Park, the site of the weekend mass shooting that claimed the lives of 11 people and injured nine others.

Carrying a large bouquet of white and yellow flowers, she paused and looked at pictures of the faces of the victims. She laid the flowers on a memorial at at the site, and then spoke to reporters for several minutes.

She said that she was there to offer "the deepest condolences for the violent and tragic" act that took place here on behalf of the President Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, her husband Doug Emhoff and and herself.

There have already been more than 40 mass killings in the US this year. While the nation must mourn the victims and pray for survivors, "we must also require that leaders in our nation who have the ability and the power and the responsibility to do something - that they act."

She praised California's gun laws and said Congress needed to pass reasonable restrictions.

Asked whether the current Congress had the capacity accomplish anything, Harris replied, "can they do something? Yes. Should they do something? Yes. Will they do something? That is where we all must speak up and speak to our elected representatives."

Please check quotes against Otter file. (Which will be in next pool report).

Harris left the ballroom memorial at 5:16 p.m. and arrived five minutes later at the Langley senior center, where she is meeting with family members of the victims and first responders.

VP local pool report #3

Otter audio.

https://otter.ai/u/xb4t8kODuAG5Yc7J4ABOLIT84T0

VP local pool report #4

After spending more than two hours meeting privately with families and first responders at a senior center a few blocks from the site of the mass shooting in Monterey Park, Harris left at 7:33 p.m. She has no more public events and is headed to her home.

Signing off,