Vice Presidential Pool Reports of July 30, 2024

VP travel pool #1 - motorcade rolling to JBA

VP Harris motorcade departed the White House for JBA at 2:03 pm.

Harris walked out of the EEOB at 1:58 pm wearing a light blue pants suit.

She took a photo with a group of people on the stairs of the EEOB. Pool could hear them cheering as Harris approached but was in the pool van while the photo was taken.

Pool also caught a brief glimpse of her in her SUV as she drove by on Executive Drive.

We are headed to Atlanta for a campaign event. Motorcade rolling. More tk...

VP travel pool #2 - JBA and Harris took a question

Motorcade arrived at JBA at 2:24 pm.

Ride was uneventful with lights and sirens clearing the cars to the side of the road.

Harris was asked if she has chosen her running mate yet.

"Not yet," Harris said.

Harris was greeted by Georgia Senators Warnock and Ossoff and Rep. Williams. She gave all of them a hug.

Air Force Two is wheels up shortly for Hartsfield Jackson International Airport.

On Background From A White House Official:

Upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews, the Vice President was greeted by Senator Jon Ossoff, Senator Raphael Warnock, and Congresswoman Nikema Williams.

VP travel pool #3 - wheels up/Harris OTR

Air Force Two is wheels up for Atlanta at 2:40 pm.

VP Harris came back to the press cabin for about a five-minute OTR.

VP travel pool #4 - Atlanta arrival and Harris comments on Middle East

Air Force Two was wheels down at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport at 4:05 pm.

Flight down was uneventful.

VP Harris disembarked at 4:21 pm and spoke to the greeters (see names below). Senators Ossoff and Warnock and Rep. Williams followed her off the plane.

Harris walked over to the pool to make the following statement on the Middle East:

"I want to address what's happened over the last few hours in terms of the Middle East, and be very clear Israel has a right to defend itself, and I unequivocally support Israel's right to remain secure and to defend the security of Israel."

"What we know, in particular, is it has the right to defend itself against the terrorist organization, which is exactly what Hezbollah is."

"But all of that being said, we still must work on a diplomatic solution to end these attacks, and we will continue to do that work. Thank you."

She did not take any questions. Please double check against transcript.

At 4:26 pm motorcade is rolling.

On Background From A White House Official:

Upon arrival in Atlanta, GA, the Vice President was greeted by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Chairman Robb Pitts, Fulton County Board of Commissioners and Chairman Jeffrey Turner, Clayton County Board of Commissioners.

VP travel pool #5 - OTR stop at restaurant

The motorcade made an unscheduled stop at Paschal's restaurant at 4:41 pm.

The restaurant in Southwest Atlanta is known for its soul food and southern specialties.

VP Harris entered at 4:45 pm...

More tk...

VP travel pool #6 - restaurant stop

VP Harris walked around Paschal's restaurant to chat with patrons, shaking hands.

The pool could make out various tidbits of what she said:

"Thank you all for the warm welcome."

"Nice to meet you."

"Sorry for interrupting your meal."

The red brick walls of the restaurant had photos of prominent African-Americans on them, including the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Pool was pulled at 4:49 pm as Harris, Warnock, Ossoff, Rep. Williams and Mayor Dickens were posing for a group photo with some of the patrons.

Pool has asked what food the VP ordered.

At 4:58 pm the motorcade is rolling.

On Background From A Harris Campaign Official:

Vice President Harris is stopping by Paschal's, a historic Black-owned restaurant in Atlanta's Castleberry Hill neighborhood. Founded in 1947, Paschal's was known as a convening destination for civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis, Andrew Young, and more during the height of the movement.

She is joined by Senators Ossoff and Warnock, Representative Williams, and Mayor Dickens.

At 5:05 pm the motorcade arrived at the Georgia State Convocation Center, the site of the campaign rally.

The space is massive with two sections of seats stacked around the room. Seats are filled to the rafters.

Pool has asked for a crowd count from the campaign. Attendees are waving blue Kamala signs. Other signs: Let's win this. Harris for President.

The rally is open press and being aired by our friends at C-SPAN.

Pool will send color and other notables.

There are 10,000 people here, a campaign official announced.

Stacey Abrams is currently addressing the crowd.

On Background From A Harris Campaign Official:

Tonight, Vice President Harris' speech in Atlanta for the campaign's largest rally to date. The rally will feature multiple local and national political figures, as well as influential figures in pop culture, including Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Congresswoman Nikema Williams, Senators Jon Ossoff, Reverend Raphael Warnock, and former Georgia state representative Stacey Abrams. Megan Thee Stallion and Quavo are also part of the evening's program. The Vice President will be introduced by Tyler Greene, a student at Morehouse College, who has started his own business and credits Vice President Harris for her work in seeing promise in Black young entrepreneurs.

During her speech, the Vice President will lay out how she will prioritize the strengthening of middle-class families as President. She will say a key to this is recognizing that prices remain too high for many essentials that families rely on, and she will lay out her plans to lower costs. She will also discuss the state of the race, reiterating that she is the underdog in this race but has real momentum and grassroots enthusiasm at her side, and she is expected to call out Trump for refusing to honor his commitment to debate.

Following her remarks, Vice President Harris will join a national campaign organizing call to thank volunteers for their support and talk about more ways to get involved with the campaign.

VP travel pool #8 - Harris takes the stage

There was an awkward moment when Tyler Greene, a student at Morehouse College, took the stage and immediately introduced Harris. The crowd roared and Beyonce's "Freedom" played. But then it stopped. "Just a second," Green said. He then began his prepared remarks.

VP Kamala Harris actually took the stage at 7:06 pm.

Beyonce's "Freedom" blared; the crowd roared; attendees held up cell phones to record the moment.

Reminder: the rally is being aired by our friends at CSPAN

On Background From A Harris Campaign Official:

The crowd count has exceeded 10,000 attendees.

Notes from those on stage ahead of Harris:

Megan Thee Stallion took the sage at 6:41 pm and left at 6:48 pm.

The lights were dimmed as she was introduced and then a series of flashing strobe lights began as she took the stage.

She was wearing a blue pants suit, white shirt and blue tie. Two dancers in similar fashion flanked her.

"Our future president – let's get this done Atlanta," she told the cheering crowd.

"We're about to make history with the first female president. The first black female president. Let's get this done honey."

She sang "Girls in the Hood," "Mamushi," "Body," and "Savage" (massive thanks to CNN's DJ Judd for helping your pooler with the song IDs).

As Megan sang her song "Body" she told the crowd: "Now I know my ladies in the crowd love their bodies – and if you want to keep loving your body, you know who to vote for."

The other speakers:

Stacey Abrams received a standing ovation and shouts of "Stacey" and she, in turn, had the crowd shout "Kamala, Kamala."

She described Harris as someone who "break barriers" in the White House.

She noted that, in Georgia, "we do the job of changing America and we're going to do it again."

Senator Jon Ossoff: "Apparently Donald Trump is too scared to debate Vice President Karris."

He added that the candidate who is too scared is the "candidate who is losing."

"Too scared," the crowd yelled. "Too scared."

Ossoff also talked about Trump's attempts to overturn the election results in Georgia.

"Lock him up, lock him up," the crowd yelled.

Senator Raphael Warnock said: "Everyone knows the road to the White House goes through Georgia."

He noted others know it "as a matter of fact I heard a phone call. A Florida man, called into Georgia and said I need 11,000 votes."

The crowd roared with laughter and applause.

Warnock said: "Georgia – Donald Trump tried to steal your vote. Kamala Harris is trying to earn your vote."

VP travel pool #9 - Rally ends

Harris finished speaking at 7:28 pm. She worked the rope line as the pool was pulled from the rally.

Here are some quotes – as always please check against the transcript:

"I am very clear. The path to the White House runs right through this state. We did it in 2020 and we're going to do it again in 2024."

She noted her resume as a prosecutor, district attorney and attorney general of California.

"In those roles I took on perpetrators of all kinds, predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain so hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump's type."

"And I have been dealing with people like him my entire career."

"Lock him up, lock him up," the crowd demanded, their feet ponding on the bleachers.

"I was the attorney general of a border state. In that job I walked underground tunnels on that border. … I went after drug cartels, human traffickers … I prosecuted them in case after case and I won. Donald Trump on the other hand talked a big game about securing our border but he's not walking the talk. Or as my friend Quavo would say, he's not walking it like he talks it."

She noted Trump "tanked" the bipartisan deal on border funding "because he thought it would help him win the election. Which goes to show Donald Trump doesn't care about your security, he only cares about himself."

VP Harris also slammed Trump on Project 2025 and vowed to pass voting rights legislation.

She repeated her line about being the "underdog" in the race.

When she noted Trump pulled out of their September debate, the crowd booed.

"So he won't debate but he and his running mate have a lot to say about me."

"And, by the way, don't you find some of their stuff to be just plain weird."

"Well Donald I hope you'll reconsider to meet me on the debate stage because, as the saying goes, if you've got something to say" – the cheering of the crowd drowned her out.

"Lock him up," the crowd yelled again.

The motorcade is rolling to the airport at 7:51 pm.

Pool did not see VP Harris get into her SUV.

Motorcade arrived at

Hartsfield Jackson International Airport at 8:02 pm.

Drive was uneventful.

VP Harris took a photo with the advance team before boarding her plane.

She boarded the plane at 8:05 pm and did not acknowledge questions about the election or on Trump's comments on her husband.

Senators Warnock and Ossoff came on the back entrance of the place and walked by pool to their seats.

Warnock said the rally was "electric" and he hadn't "seen a rally with more energy." Ossoff told the pool "I appreciate you."

Air Force Two is wheels up shortly for JBA.

Air Force Two was wheels down JBA at 9:32 pm.

Flight was quite bumpy for the first hour and then smoothed out.

VP Harris deplaned at 9:47 pm. She boarded Marine Two and was wheels up at 9:53 pm.

That's a wrap. Thanks to all my great co-poolers for their help today.

In case you didn't get, from the campaign:

Below is on background and immediately reportable.

Next week, Vice President Harris and her future running mate will crisscross the country together to campaign to the voters who will decide this election. As a strong reminder, and as she said today, Vice President Harris has made no decision on a running mate.

• PHILADELPHIA, PA
• WESTERN WISCONSIN
• DETROIT, MI
• RALEIGH, NC
• SAVANNAH, GA
• PHOENIX, AZ
• LAS VEGAS, NV