Vice Presidential Pool Reports of October 18, 2024

VP Pool report 1

Good afternoon from Grand Rapids, Mich.

Motorcade rolling from RON at 1:45 p.m. en route to Riverside Park, where VP Harris is expected to give remarks around 2:35 p.m. Weather is a cool, sunny 63 degrees for this outdoor event framed by colorful fall foliage.

After that, we'll have two other campaign events in Michigan today — one in Lansing at UAW Local 652 with remarks beginning about 5:25 p.m. The other will be northwest of Detroit at the Oakland County Expo Center with remarks beginning about 8:10 p.m.

VP Pool report 2

Motorcade arrived at 2 p.m., greeted by onlookers, including one standing in a boat on the Grand River holding a pink sign reading "Madame President."

On behalf of the Harris-Walz campaign

Vice President Harris is delivering remarks at a campaign rally in Riverside Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Speakers:

April Bowlin, Field Organizer, Michigan Democratic Party

Representative Hillary Scholten

Senator Debbie Stabenow

Governor Gretchen Whitmer

Program:

Brian Hein, Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters, Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters Local 687, Introducer

Vice President Kamala Harris

VP Pool report 3

VP gave brief remarks to press ahead of appearing onstage. She touched on Sinwar's death and former President Trump. Will have full transcript later, but here are some highlights.

"Again, we have a situation where the former president is insulting the people of this state, saying that auto workers, that their important and good and highly skilled work could be performed by a child, which is just further evidence that Donald Trump comes from a place where he really just doesn't appreciate or understand how most people in this country work very hard for all that they have and there is great dignity in their work."

"His team is saying that he is suffering from exhaustion, that's the excuse for … not doing …interviews, not doing the CNN town hall … (or) another debate. You know, look, being president of the United States is probably one of the hardest jobs in the world, and so we really do need to ask ourselves if he's exhausted from being on the campaign trail, is he fit to do the job?"

VP Pool report 4

VP takes the stage at 2:37 p.m. The crowd erupts in a chorus of "Happy Birthday to You." She appears to tell the union member who introduced her "you are so good at your job" before coming to the microphone.

VP travel pool report 5 – Harris crowd interaction

Speech was live-streamed, but here is the medical energy moment you may not have heard on video:

After a medical emergency in the crowd, VP asks crowd to clear a path, saying something including "we need some help over here."

In the silence, an attendee shouts about Trump: "He's a convict!"

VP: "And we got jokes over here, grounded in reality."

**Apologies for lagging/double emails. Struggling with service here.

VP travel pool report 6 – Motorcade leaves Riverside Park

VP stood with two 5-paved security glass structures shielding her left and right sides during Grand Rapids outdoor speech. After her remarks, she shook hands and greeted crowd members closest to the stage on her way out, stopping for short conversations along the way.

Motorcade rolling from Riverside Park to AF2 at 3:34 p.m.

VP travel pool report 7 – Arrival at Grand Rapids airport and pre-speech transcript

Motorcade arrived at Grand Rapids airport at 3:56 p.m.

Remaining transcript from pre-speech remarks to press:

"He really does not appreciate or understand most people in our country work very hard for all that they have and that there is great dignity in their work. In addition, I, you know, I've been hearing reports that his team at least is saying he's suffering from exhaustion. And,, that's apparently the excuse for why he's not doing interviews. And of course, he's not doing the CNN town hall. He, you know, look, being president of the United States is probably one of the hardest jobs in the world, and so we really do need to ask if he's exhausted being on the campaign trail, is he fit to do the job? And I think that's a question that is an open ended question that he needs to answer."

Q: You're in a state where there's a lot of opposition voters in light of the recent news this week in the Middle East ... what's your message"

VP: "First of all, we have got to end this war and I think that what has happened now is the killing of Sinwar creates an opportunity for us to end this war and bring the hostages home. And I think everyone wants to, ma'am.

Q: The race still remains incredibly tight. I know you've been out campaigning. What's your sort of, like, thesis of the case for why it remains?

VP: Look, it's an election for president of the United States. It's not supposed to be cake walk for anyone. There are very important issues at point. And I am clear and I think the people that you hear right now in the background are clear that Donald Trump is unfit for the office. He is unstable and he frankly is a danger to our democracy, as has been described by his former chief of staff, secretaries of defense, national security adviser and former vice president.

Q: The former president has been critical of you not attending the Al Smith dinner last night. As you were talking about him being exhausted, do you think that that's one reason why he chose to go to New York City rather than come out here on the campaign trail?

"I am beyond getting into the head of Donald Trump. And then I will say that it should be a concern if he can't handle the rigors of the campaign trail. Is he fit to do that? I think it's a legitimate question."

Travel pool report 8 – wheels up Grand Rapids

VP was met by about two dozen supporters on the tarmac, taking a group photo with them.

Wheels up 4:12 p.m.

VP Travel pool report 9 – wheels down Lansing

AF2 landed in Lansing at 4:26 p.m.

She will be met by the following greeters in Lansing:

- Chairman Ryan Sebolt, Ingham County Board of Commissions

- Lansing Mayor Andy Schor

VP Travel pool report 10 – Motorcade leaves Lansing airport

VP emerged from AF2 at 4:39. She spoke for two minutes with Chairman Ryan Sebolt of Ingham County Board of Commissions and Lansing Mayor Andy Schor.

Motorcade left at 4:44 p.m.

VP Travel pool report 11 – Motorcade arrives at UAW hall

Motorcade arrives at UAW Local 652 in Lansing, Mich. at 5 p.m.

Details about the event are below:

On behalf of the Harris-Walz campaign

Vice President Harris is delivering remarks at United Auto Workers Local 652 in Lansing, Michigan. Members of the audience include union workers who currently work at the General Motors Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant.

Speakers:

-Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II

-Congressional Candidate Curtis Hertel

-Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin

Program:

-Benjamin Frantz, President, UAW Local 652, Introducer

-Vice President Kamala Harris

VP Travel pool report 12 – VP takes stage at UAW hall

VP took the stage at 5:31 p.m. UAW Local 652 in Lansing, Mich. to a roaring crowd of auto workers.

"It's always good to be in the house of labor. Thank you for your leadership," I just said to him (Union President Benjamin Frantz.) I mean, what a leader he is. You know, I just, first of all, it's so good to be in the house of labor, and it's so good to be (where we) understand the dignity of work and fight for it every day, and it's not an easy fight, but it's a good fight, and I thank you for all that you do, Ben."

VP Travel pool report 13 – More quotes from VP speech

Rally should be streaming, but here are some quick quotes.

"This election is about two very different visions for our nation, one that's trying to take us backward – him. And ours that is about moving forward and about the future we fight, we fight for a future where we protect the freedom to organize, where we understand the importance of collective bargaining. You know, I sometimes say to young people, by the way, have you noticed how when you look at the polling younger workers coming into the workforce, they get it and they understand the power and the nobility of unions. And I always say to people, look, here's the thing about collective bargaining. Everybody should want that. When there's a negotiation, the outcome would be fair, right? Who's going to argue with that? Everybody should want that, that there will be a fair outcome in a negotiation, alright? So if we start from there all reasonable people, then let's think about it, if you're talking about the worker, the one worker trying to negotiate against the corporation, is that outcome going to be fair? No, the disparity in power is too great. So collective bargaining. It's a simple, simple and important point. You let the workers organize so that the collective together who have the same concerns the same issues, can be banded together to have equal power in a negotiation. Because the whole point is the outcome of the negotiation should be fair."

"… We will invest in manufacturing communities like Lansing. We will retool existing factories, hire locally and work with unions to create good, paying jobs, including, by the way, jobs that do not require a college degree. And I'm going to tell you why, because I'm really clear that a college degree is not the only measure of the skills and experienced a qualified worker and meaning.

That's why that as president, I'm going to do a critical assessment of federal jobs to look at those that don't require a college degree, so we can start talking about good jobs based on the skill and experience of the worker, and not random measures of who can do what. And I plan on the challenge in the private sector to do the same."

VP Travel pool report 14 – VP speech wraps

VP wraps speech at 5:57 p.m. Halfway through her speech, VP played clips of Trump disparaging union workers, including a clip from the RNC in which Trump said UAW should fire the union's head leader.

VP engaged with auto workers after her speech for about eight minutes, heading to motorcade at 5:05 p.m.

VP Travel pool report 15 – Motorcade arrival to airport

VP's motorcade arrived at Lansing airport at 6:22 p.m. she was greeted on the tarmac by 15 people who were also at the UAW event. She boards AF2 at 6:25 p.m.

VP travel pool report #16 – wheels up Lansing

AF2 wheels up from Lansing to Detroit area at 6:43 p.m.

Key theme hammered home at both speeches so far has been her pledge to do a review of the federal workforce to assess which jobs should and should not require college degrees.

Full quote on that from Lansing UAW speech: "That's why that as president, I'm going to do a critical assessment of federal jobs to look at those that don't require a college degree, so we can start talking about good jobs based on the skill and experience of the worker, and not random measures of who can do what. And I plan on the challenge in the private sector to do the same. And wewill importantly protect the pensions of union workers and retirees and dignity of work, which includes the dignity of retirement. That's right, after a lifetime of working hard. Let's talk about the dignity of retirement, dignity of aging."

VP travel pool report #17 – wheels down Oakland County

Wheels down at 7:05 p.m. at Oakland County International Airport.

VP deplaned at 7:16 p.m. She did not stop for questions, only waving at the press.

VP travel pool report #18 – motorcade leaves

Motorcade left the airport at 7:21 p.m. en route to the Oakland County Expo Center for VP's final speech of the day in Michigan.

VP travel pool report #19 – motorcade arrives at Oakland County Expo Center
[APP Note: There are two reports numbered as #19. See below.]

VP motorcade arrived at Oakland County Expo Center at 7:36 with the huge, orange harvest moon hanging low in the sky.

Details about the next event below:

On behalf of the Harris-Walz campaign

Vice President Harris is delivering remarks at a campaign rally at the Oakland Expo Center in Waterford Township, Michigan.

Speakers:

-Dave Coulter, Oakland County Executive

-Representative Haley Stevens

-Senator Debbie Stabenow

-Lisa Joseph, Field Pitch

Program:

-Mia Reid, Mother of Gun Violence victim Charles W. Reid, Introducer

-Vice President Kamala Harris

VP travel report #19 — VP takes stage
[APP Note: There are two reports numbered as #19. See above.]

VP takes the stage here at the Oakland County Expo Center in Waterford, Mich. at 8:10 p.m.

She was introduced by the mother of a gun violence victim with Moms Demand Action. As she began speaking on gun violence prevention, several audience members shout, "Remember Oxford," referencing the Nov. 30, 2021 mass shooting at Oxford High School in Detroit, when a student killed four other students.

Oakland County event is the largest crowd we've seen today.

VP travel report #20 — VP begins speech, medical event

Crowd sings VP "Happy Birthday" before she began her speech. Her birthday is on Sunday.

She starts speaking about 8:11 p.m., acknowledging the Muslim community in the Detroit area.

Crowd is energetic. The venue is warm. Someone had a medical emergency at 8:13 p.m. and VP stops speech to let first responders come through.

Once cleared, she thanks first responders and begins speaking again, mentioning Sinwar's death.

"Given the scale of the death and destruction in Gaza and given the civilian casualties and displacement in Lebanon, it is devastating … And now, (with Sinwar gone) must be a turning point. This opportunity to end the war in Gaza."

VP travel report #21 — "Loser" crowd interaction

As VP refers to and mentions Trump, audience members yell out, "Loser!" repeatedly throughout the event.

She joined in once, leaning close to the mic to say Trump is a "loser." The full crowd joins her, and dozens put their hands in the air with their finger and thumb in the shape of an L.

At each of the three Michigan stops today, audience members have shouted out that Trump is a "loser."

VP travel report #22 — VP speech ends

VP finished speaking at 8:45 p.m.

She touched on many issues, including ending the war in Gaza, diplomacy, supporting unions, jobs for skilled laborers without college degrees, child tax credit, assistance caring for older loved ones, abortion, voting rights, "freedom from gun violence," treating the American people with "dignity," and the Supreme Court presidential immunity ruling.

She received the most raucous acclaim and loudest cheers when she spoke about the right to abortion access and protecting democracy.

Detroit/Wayne County early voting begins tomorrow, Oct. 19. Michigan-wide, early voting begins next Saturday, Oct. 26.

She is now greeting the crowd, as about half swarm her and half leave to beat the traffic.

VP travel report #23 — Motorcade out

VP motorcade left Oakland County Expo Center at 8:58 p.m. en route to Detroit/RON.

VP travel pool report #24 — 3,500 attendees

Per the campaign, there were 3,500 in attendance tonight at the Oakland County rally.

VP travel pool report #25 – lid

Motorcade arrived at RON in Detroit at 9:47 p.m.

Lid was called at 9:52 p.m.

Have great night!