Vice Presidential Pool Reports of October 10, 2024

VP Pool Note #1 - leaving RON

Good morning from sunny Las Vegas, where the VP will participate in the taping of a Univision Town Hall before flying to Phoenix, Arizona, for a campaign event.

We have not seen the VP yet today. The motorcade began rolling from the RON at 12:19PT.

More to come…

VP Pool Note #2 - arrival at UNLV

The motorcade arrived at the University of Nevada Las Vegas for the Univision Town Hall at approximately 12:30 PT after a short, uneventful drive.

A crowd of supporters greeted the motorcade waving Harris-Walz signs and shouting "We're not going back!" Several people held a homemade sign that said "VAMOS!"

The town hall — "Los Latinos Preguntan, Kamala Harris Responde" — will be prerecorded and air on Univision tonight at 7PM PT/10PM ET.

We still haven't seen the VP.

VP Pool Note #3 - Univision Town Hall begins

Taping for the Univision Town Hall began at 1:10 PT.

The pool is being held in a room next to where the filming is taking place. We were given a brief walk-through of the set before the event began.

There are 100 Latino voters from across the country sat in a semicircle in stadium-style seating. Harris and the moderator are standing on a blue carpeted floor at the center. Harris is wearing a tan pantsuit, dark brown top and gold necklace.

Voters are asking questions in both Spanish and English, and the pool is listening to the recording through a translation headset. The moderator is translating for the VP when necessary, and Harris is answering questions in English.

I will try to send any newsy quotes but Univision has said they will provide a full transcript when the recording concludes. Reminder the town hall will air on Univision at 7PM PT/10PM ET.

VP Pool Note #4- Univision Town Hall concludes with question on Trump's virtues

The taping concluded at approx. 2:12 PT.

Harris took questions on the federal hurricane response, healthcare policy, immigration, the cost of living and reproductive rights. She reiterated many of her campaign talking points, including blaming Donald Trump for torpedoing the bipartisan immigration bill, and emphasizing her plans for an "opportunity economy."

The final voter asked her to name three virtues that President Trump has.

Rough transcript of Harris's answer: "I think Donald Trump loves his family, and I think that is very important...But I don't really know him, to be honest with you. I don't have much more to offer you."

In another notable exchange, an undecided voter said he was upset with the way President Biden had been treated by the Democratic party and questioned how Harris had become the party's nominee.

Harris thanked the voter for being so "candid," and praised Biden for a "decision that I think history will show was probably one of the most courageous that a president could make." The VP said she had been "partners" with Biden for the last four years and was "honored to have earned the Democratic nomination." She said she had been endorsed by a range of people and groups, including Republicans, and said the election offered a choice between democracy and autocracy: "We are literally having a choice as the American people about choosing a path either that is about rule of law, democracy or something that is about admiring dictators."

Please check quotes against the official transcript.

VP Pool Note #5 - leaving UNLV

The motorcade left UNLV at 3:20 PT.

One additional note about the town hall from the Harris campaign: the event was moderated by Enrique Acevedo.

We are rolling to the airport.

VP Pool Note #6 - Harry Reid International Airport

Motorcade arrived at the airport at approx. 3:30PM PT after another short, uneventful drive.

The vice-president left her car at 3:35 PM and took about five minutes of questions before boarding AF2 solo. Quotes to come but for now we are rolling for takeoff to Phoenix.

VP Pool Note #7 — arrival in Phoenix

AF2 landed in Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport at 4:43PM AT after a bumpy but otherwise uneventful flight. There were no visitors to the press cabin before or during the flight.

Harris got off the plane at 4:56PM AT. She shook hands and spoke for a minute with Chairman Robert Miguel of the Ak-Chin Indian community. She waved to the press but took no questions before entering her car.

Motorcade began rolling away from the airport at roughly 5PM AT.

Some quotes from the press gaggle on the tarmac before take off in Vegas below — as always please check against official transcript as it was at times very hard to hear the VP.

"It is great to be back in Las Vegas...by contrast, my opponent, Donald Trump, has yet again trashed another great American city, Detroit."

Asked about Trump-Putin/Bob Woodward reports: "During the height of the pandemic, Donald Trump as president of the United States, secretly sent Covid test kits to Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, an adversary, at a time when here in this town, and across our country, people were dying by the hundreds. People were scrambling trying to find Covid tests, and the president of the United States secretly sent a bunch for the personal use to the president of Russia.

"We have so many examples of the fact that Donald Trump does not understand the importance of being president of the United States and Commander-in-Chief, whether it be what he does...demeaning members of our military, calling them suckers and losers, referring to a great American hero, whose state I am about to visit, who was a prisoner of war, as somehow undeserving of his admiration...

"We have examples of Donald Trump just constantly admiring dictators and autocrats, saying he wants to be a dictator on day one. Let me tell you something, that is the sign of weakness of character that you would seek favor and flattery from dictators and put their needs over the needs of the American people."

Asked to comment on the situation in Lebanon: "We have got to reach a ceasefire, both as it relates to what is happening in Lebanon and of course Gaza. We have been working around the clock...we need these wars to end, and we have got to get them to de-escalate what is happening."

Asked what her message is to Latino voters: "Donald Trump has shown himself to be someone who thrives on trying to divide us as a nation, and demean people, and call people names, and that is not the sign of the character of someone that we want as president of the United States. We have so much more in common than what separates us as Americans, and it is, I think, in the best interests of everyone to have a leader who measures their strength not based on who they beat down but on who they lift up, and that is the kind of president I intend to be."

VP Pool Note #8 - Hurricanes Milton and Helene

The White House passes along the following, attributable to a White House official:

Today, Vice President Kamala Harris continued her outreach to local Florida officials regarding Hurricane Milton. In separate calls with Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Pinellas County Chair Kathleen Peters, and Hillsborough County Chair Ken Hagan, the Vice President and local officials discussed the range of federal support available for communities impacted by the hurricane. The Vice President made clear she stood ready to cut any unnecessary red tape and urged the officials to contact her directly if additional support was needed.

Separately, the Vice President reached out to Valdosta, GA Mayor Scott Matheson and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Chief Michell Hicks regarding Hurricane Helene recovery in Georgia and North Carolina. The Vice President conveyed the Administration's commitment to supporting communities recovering from Hurricane Helene for as long as it takes.

Also, Vice President Kamala Harris virtually joined President Joe Biden for a briefing in the Situation Room on the Federal Government's response to the impacts of Hurricanes Milton and Helene across the Southeast, and the role that the Department of Defense and Coast Guard are playing alongside FEMA and other federal partners. Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Department of Defense Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Q. Brown, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Christopher Grady, Commandant of the Coast Guard Admiral Linda Fagan, FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik Hooks, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Deputy Commanding General Major General Jason Kelly also joined the briefing.

VP Pool Note #9 - arrival at rally

The motorcade arrived at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, Arizona, at approx. 5:25PM local time. The campaign rally is taking place in the Rawhide Event Center, a 48,000-square foot hangar-like event space.

The standing room only crowd is cheering despite the heat. It is currently 97 degrees Fahrenheit outside in Chandler and it is very warm in the venue.

There is a small stage set up in the middle of the space with a podium and teleprompters. Behind the podium is a large blue sign with white lettering: "PHX A NEW WAY FORWARD"

Another large blue sign has the American flag, the Arizona state flag, and the slogan: "ARIZONA VOTES EARLY." Early in-person voting began in Arizona on Wednesday.

VP is expected to speak at 6:30PM AT, according to the guidance sent around by the White House.

VP Pool Note #10 - meeting with Native American youth leaders

While we await VP at the rally, the Harris-Walz campaign passes along the following:

Vice President Harris is meeting with Native American youth leaders from across Arizona ahead of her remarks.

VP Pool Note #11 - Harris takes the stage in Chandler

Harris took to the stage to Beyonce's "Freedom" at 6:14PM AT. The crowd cheered for approximately two minutes before the VP began her remarks, which are streaming online.

VP Pool Note #12 - running order in Chandler, crowd size

A campaign official says there are "over 7,000" people here at the Harris rally in Chandler. Harris began her remarks with comments on Hurricanes Milton and Helene and acknowledging local tribal leaders before turning to the state of the race. She said she remains the "underdog" but is determined to win in November. Reminder the event is streaming online.

The Harris-Walz campaign passed along the following running order:

Vice President Harris is delivering remarks at a campaign rally at the Rawhide Western Town & Event Center in Chandler, Arizona.

Speakers:

• Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Roe Lewis
• Arizona Democratic Party Chair Yolanda Bejarano
• Tucson Mayor Regina Romero
• Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego
• Carson Keller, Harris-Walz Campaign Organizer

Program:

• Gerardo Ramirez, Teamsters Local 104 Member, Introducer
• Vice President Kamala Harris

VP Pool Note #13 - remarks conclude in Chandler

VP Harris spoke for about 25 minutes, sticking largely to her stump speech. Freedom played a second time as she exited the stage. She is now shaking hands and posing for photos with members of the crowd, which she's been doing for 10+ minutes.

Quotes to come.

VP Pool Note #14 - leaving Chandler + quotes

The motorcade left the rally shortly after 7PM AT, after the VP spent nearly 20 minutes working the rope line.

Select quotes from the rally:

"Arizona, we have just 26 days until Election Day. Twenty-six days. And we are nearing the home stretch, and this will be a very tight race until the very end, and we are the underdogs. We are the underdogs...We have some hard work ahead of us. But we like hard work. With your help, in 26 days, we will win."

"Just last night, Donald Trump officially ruled out any more debates. Now, I think it is a disservice to the voters. I also think it's a pretty weak move. But even if he will not debate, the contrast in this election is already clear."

Some of the loudest applause of the night came when Harris spoke of the late John McCain blocking Trump's attempts to overturn the ACA: "It required one more vote to keep it in tact. And that vote was the late, great John McCain, a great American, a war hero."

The crowd broke out in chants of U-S-A when Harris said: "The baton is now in our hands. Because we here know what it is at stake, and we love our country."

VP Pool Note #15 — arrival at RON/lid

The motorcade pulled into the RON at approx. 7:50PM AT. The pool did not see the VP. A lid was called at 8:09PM AT. Have a good night!