Vice Presidential Pool Reports of June 24, 2024

#1 VIP Pool - VP Harris MD campaign event: setup + excerpts

Good morning,

I'll be your pooler for Vice President Harris's campaign event in Maryland today - she later heads to Arizona for another campaign event and then on to Los Angeles.

Our first time seeing the VP will be here at the University of Maryland, College Park (she did not motorcade with us over from the WH). Supporters are still filtering into the event, held in what appears to be a gymnasium/athletics facility. A large sign with the words "Trust Women" is displayed prominently over a blue backdrop adorned with American flags. Beyoncé is playing on the loudspeakers. We're still tracking an on-time start of 11:45am, per the VP's office.

Passing along the below excerpts/background from the campaign – no embargo:

VP Harris To Declare Donald Trump 'Guilty' of Stealing Women's Reproductive Freedom

At a Monday campaign event marking the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Vice President Kamala Harris will say Donald Trump is "guilty" of rolling back women's reproductive freedom.

In the speech, Vice President Harris will say that Donald Trump's selection of three justices with the intent to overturn Roe shows it was a "premeditated" act, and that his boasts in the two years since Roe was overturned amounts to a "confession."

The Vice President will deliver her remarks at a campaign event in College Park, Maryland, before flying to Arizona for a moderated conversation also focused on reproductive rights.
In Maryland, the Vice President will be introduced by Kate Cox, a Texas woman who was denied an emergency abortion in her home state.

BELOW ARE EXCERPTS FROM VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS' REMARKS, AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY:

This is a health care crisis, and we know who is to blame: Donald Trump.

How do we know? Well, I'm a former prosecutor. So let's look at the facts.

Donald Trump hand-picked three members of the United States Supreme Court because he intended for them to overturn Roe. So it was premeditated.
...
Trump has not denied, much less shown remorse, for his actions. Instead, he proudly takes credit for overturning Roe.

In a court of law, that would be called an admission. Some would say, a confession.
...
In the case of the stealing of reproductive freedom from the women of America, Donald Trump is guilty.

#2 VIP Pool - VP Harris MD campaign event: preshow quotes/background

Rep. Glen Ivey kicked off the preshow with brief remarks introducing Prince George's County executive Angela Alsobrooks, running for U.S. Senate in Maryland.

At 10:49am, Alsobrooks took the stage to deliver remarks focusing on the Dobbs decision anniversary — flanking the lectern are signs reading "Restore Roe."
"Today is more than just an anniversary," Alsobrooks began. "It's proof that we should never take for granted our liberties."

Alsobrooks thanked President Biden and VP Harris for their "commitment to the rights of women." Alsobrooks later described Harris as a "superbad woman," suggesting the VP and Biden "have made clear what side they fall on."

At 10:57, Sen. Chris Van Hollen took the stage, stressing the need to elect Alsobrooks to the Senate. On the Dobbs anniversary, Van Hollen noted: "This is a day that will live in infamy. Two years ago, we witnessed a direct attack on the freedom of American women and American families when the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade." He went on to describe the decision as a "premeditated attack… an attack that had long been planned by the forces on the far-right."

Talking about Alsobrook's Senate race, Van Hollen called out her Republican opponent, former Gov. Larry Hogan. "Larry Hogan's, like, undergoing some election year conversion like none other I've ever seen," Van Hollen said, claiming despite Hogan's attestations that he's pro-choice, "he has a record that tells us the exact opposite."

"When it comes to this fundamental issue, Marylanders just cannot trust Larry Hogan," Van Hollen said. "A vote for Larry Hogan is a vote to put the MAGA Republicans in charge of the United States Senate."

At 11:08, Mini Timmaraju, President of Reproductive Freedom for All, took the stage for brief remarks echoing similar themes. She introduced CEO of Planned Parenthood Alexis McGill Johnson at 11:13am. "Make no mistake, this was never about health care," McGill Johnson said. "It's always been about power and control at the expense of our bodies, our minds and our futures."

At 11:19, speakers cleared the stage as a drum performance began in the risers. An Otter transcription of the preshow remarks (and later, VP Harris's speech) can be found here: https://otter.ai/u/Gbv-i5Z7pC51-woE6dQuu9Mj06g?utm_source=copy_url

Per the campaign, the VP will be introduced by Kate Cox – more background on the event/speakers is below:

On background from a Biden-Harris campaign official:

On Monday, June 24, Vice President Kamala Harris will mark the two-year anniversary of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade with a campaign event focused on reproductive freedom in College Park, Maryland.

The Vice President will remind voters that Donald Trump is responsible for overturning Roe and the chaos that has followed, and she will highlight the threat a second Trump presidency would pose to reproductive freedom nationwide.

Additional speakers include U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen; U.S. Senator Ben Cardin; Prince George's County Executive and U.S. Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks; Mini Timmaraju, President of Reproductive Freedom for All; and CEO of Planned Parenthood Alexis McGill Johnson. The Vice President will be introduced by Kate Cox, a Texas woman who was denied an emergency abortion in her home state.

#3 VIP Pool - VP Harris MD campaign event: Cox + Harris remarks, Glenn Ivey spelling correx.

Kate Cox, the Texas woman who was denied an abortion last year, took the stage at 11:51am and began by recounting her story.

"With every minute that I stayed pregnant, the risk to my health and to a future pregnancy were growing," Cox recalled. "I needed to end my pregnancy so I'd have the best chance for my health, for parenting my children, and for future pregnancies."

"I never imagined having to fight for something so basic as a procedure to save my health," Cox continued. "But after I filed a lawsuit seeking to clarify that I qualified under one of the rare exceptions Texas abortion bans, I was denied that most basic right. My state chose to drive me out of my home, my community, away from my children and my doctors, rather than to let me access care."

"I'm just one person, we're just one family, but our story is playing out in countless cities and states across America," Cox said. She thanked Biden and Harris for "fighting tirelessly" for reproductive rights, asking Americans to support them in November.

Cox became teary when announcing that she's pregnant again – something which elicited loud cheers from the crowd. Noting she's due in January, Cox said she hoped she'd be welcoming her child into "a world led by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris."

At 11:56, VP Harris walked on stage dressed in a gray pantsuit. "Isn't she extraordinary," Harris said of Cox. "In moments of crisis, the universe has a way of revealing the heroes among us."

"This is a fight for freedom," Harris said starting her formal remarks after thanking the lawmakers and guests in attendance. "Two years ago today, I think many of us remember where we were. Two years ago today, the highest court in our land – the court of Thurgood and RBG – took a constitutional right that had been recognized from the people of American, from the women of America." Harris said she predicted "overturning Roe v. Wade would be the opening shot on a full-on assault, state by state, on reproductive freedom," arguing she was correct.

Harris pointed to statistics that one-in-three women in the U.S. live in a state with an abortion ban. "Today, our daughters know fewer rights than their grandmothers. This is a healthcare crisis, and we all know who to blame: Donald Trump."

Harris said Trump "intended" for his three U.S. Supreme Court picks to overturn Roe. "It was premeditated," she said. "Trump has not denied, much less shown remorse, for his actions."

As previewed by the campaign, Harris drew on a court case metaphor to declare Trump culpable for Roe's reversal: "In the case of the stealing of reproductive freedom from the women of America, Donald Trump is guilty," she said.

On Trump's flip-flopping over whether he would sign a national abortion ban into law: "enough with the gaslighting," Harris said to cheers.

Harris spoke to the speculation around Trump's VP candidates: "Donald Trump just announced who his running mate will be. Without knowing that person's name, we already know it is someone who wants to ban abortion."

Harris closed stressing the need for supporters to turn out in November.

"The voice of the people have been heard, and will be heard," she said. "When we fight, we win." She left the stage at 12:07.

The motorcade was rolling to JBA at 12:13am.

Lastly, flagging that Rep. Ivey's first name is spelled Glenn with two Ns (as opposed to one N, as was written in note #2). Your pooler regrets the error.

#4 VIP Pool - VP Harris MD campaign event: JBA departure/goodnight

VP Harris's motorcade arrived at JBA at 12:37pm (we obviously departed at 12:13pm, not "am" as was stated in my last note).

Harris boarded the plane at 12:41 without stopping to talk to the pool. She was followed by Sen. Laphonza Butler.

AF2 was taxiing for departure to PHX at 12:52pm - pool vans pulled away before the plane lifted off so consider this your wheels up.

As your pooler is not traveling on this second leg, that's it from me for today!