Vice Presidential Pool Reports of September 12, 2024

VP Pool Report #1: JBA departure

Happy Thursday friends.

I'm your print pooler today! Vice President Kamala Harris arrived at JBA via M2 at 1:02PM. She stepped off the footer two minutes later.

She is wearing a black blazer, dark pants and black converse.

She exited from the helicopter and greeted a service member upon her exit and the pair walked over chatting.

Harris continued to greet other service members, and waved at the press— scaling up the stairs of AF2 at 1:06P.

Asked by the TV pooler if she was ready to get back on the campaign trail, she said "yes" with a thumbs up and boarded.

Before takeoff, she came back to gaggle OTR for roughly 4 Min.

1:13P we are rolling

Next stop: Charlotte, NC

FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY
12:55 VP Harris arrives at Joint Base Andrews
1:10 Wheels up en route to Charlotte (1 hr and 15 min flight)
2:25 Wheels down at Charlotte Douglas
2:40 Drive en route to Bojangles Coliseum (20 min drive)
3:00 Arrive at event space
3:40 Remarks at campaign rally in Charlotte
4:25 Drive to Charlotte Douglas (20 min)
5:00 Wheels up en route to Greensboro (40 min flight)
5:40 Wheels down at Piedmont Triad International
5:55 Drive en route to Greensboro Coliseum (20 min)
6:15 Arrive at event space
6:50 Remarks at campaign rally in Greensboro
7:25 Drive to airport (20 min)
8:00 Wheels up en route to JBA (1 hr flight)
9:00 Wheels down at Joint Base Andrews
9:15 VP Harris departs JBA

VP Pool Report #2: AF2 landed

AF2 landed in Charlotte at 2:13, after an uneventful ride.

The VP descended the plane stairs at 2:24P

She greeted Dunlap, grabbing his hand and holding it while they spoke for several minutes near the stairs before hopping into her SUV, ignoring a press question from your pooler onher message to the community in Springfield, OH.

The motorcade is rolling to the Bojangle Stadium (yes that is the name lol) at 2:29P, about 20 min away

From VP office:

The greeter is:
Mecklenburg County Commissioner George Dunlap

VP Pool Report #3: arrived at Bojangles

The VP's motorcade arrived at the Bojangles Coliseum (I called it a stadium last note) at 2:45P ET, we did not see the VP upon exiting our van and walking up to the building which immediately smelled of fried chicken even before we opened the doors.

There's a chill in the air here-- CNN's DJ Judd told me that it's cold because we are sitting on top of an ice rink. The set up is typical to other Harris rallies, but admittedly, less full than some we've seen previously. The stadium side behind where Harris will stand is completely full to the top but the three other sides are not. I've attached pictures for reference.

Right now, the great Anthony Hamilton just finished playing his hit song "Cool" with a three person band. He ended by repeating "we are not going back."

Next up will be the woman who introduces the VP.

More details from the campaign:

On behalf of the Harris-Walz Campaign:

Vice President Harris is delivering remarks at a rally at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. Ahead of her remarks, the Vice President greeted with Charlotte based faith leaders. The rally will also include a performance by Anthony Hamilton.

Speakers:

Harris-Walz North Carolina campaign organizer Rae Suber
State Senator Rachel Hunt
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles
Congressman Jeff Jackson
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein
Governor Roy Cooper

Program:

Stacy Staggs, Charlotte mom of two, Introducer
Vice President Harris

VP Pool Report #4: 2 min warning

Harris' introducer is up now— two minutes to the VP at 3:39P

VP Pool Report #5: Harris enters, talks debate

At 3:46P, to huge applause.

Newish: "I believe we owe it to the voters to have another debate," she said to very loud applause, after Trump's recent post about to debates

"On Tuesday night, I talked about issues that I know matter," she said "but that's not what we heard from Donald Trump. Instead it's the same old show."

Harris said Trump presented no plans nor did he get into the weeds.

"I said it then I say it now, it's time to turn the page."

"We got a lot of work to do," she said initially after her thank you's.

Now she's getting into the stump… "I will always put country before party and I will be a president for all Americans."

More to come.

VP Pool Report #6: remarks end, rolling to airport

Harris concluded her remarks at 4:12PM. She walked around the stage for a minute but didn't do rope line.

More on the debate:

"He said CONCEPTS OF A PLAN," Harris said laughing, when people said 'concepts' with her, she sounded a little surprised and delighted, "Oh you did watch the debate."

"Concepts. Concepts. No action plan, concepts," she said.

45 million people are insured under ACA, Harris said, and he wants to end it with a "concept."

We're not going back, she said to chants with the same language. Because their fight is a "fight of freedom."

"The impact of this so real," she said of the abortion restrictions nation wide . And at the debate, Harris said, "Donald Trump refused to say that he would veto a national abortion ban," to large boos. She repeated her promise to sign Roe v Wade into law.

Harris continued her stump, with new small inserted language to highlight exchanges on the debate stage.

"This is not 2016 or 2020," she said, saying the stakes this time are higher, in part because of the SCOTUS decision on presidential immunity.

"Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails," she said to boos. Harris repeated similar comments tot he debate that Trump has vowed to be a dictator and would terminate the constitution.

At one point, USA chants broke out in the coliseum, after Harris said the reason why they fight is for love of country.

"So North Carolina, we have 54 days til Election Day. And 35 days til early voting starts," Harris said.

She mentioned Josh Stein's race and then said his opponent— not naming Mark Robinson— is trying to turn the country

"We are loving our campaign aren't we?" She said to huge applause. "Ours will be a very tight campaign until the end and we are the underdog. There are powerful voices trying to convince people their vote doesn't matter." She was interrupted by an orchestrated "we love you" chant from behind her.

She turned around to say I love you too.

Color note:

2 of the 3 sides of the coliseum filled up, nearly up to the top since your poolers first note. Many people had on blue light up wrist bands in the crowd.

From campaign (my note— Pool was NOT invited to observe this):

On behalf of the Harris-Walz campaign:

Prior to her remarks, Vice President Harris greeted actresses Sophia Bush and Busy Phillips alongside local Charlotte area college students in front of the Harris-Walz campaign's tour bus.

VP's motorcade is rolling back to the airport 4:18P, 20 min drive:

VP Pool Report #7: departure from Charlotte

Harris arrived at 4:34P at the airport, stepped out of her SUV and then took photos with staff next to AF2.

She walked up the steps at4:37P, ignoring questions from us on Trump's refusal to debate again and another from me again on Ohio. She stopped at the top and waved before entering the cabin.

AF2 is taxing at 4:45p for Greensboro

VP Pool Report #8: arrival in Greensboro, rolling

AF2 landed in cloudy Greensboro at 5:14P, after a very short and even more uneventful ride.

Harris came down the AF2 stairs at 5:27 and greeted three local officials lined up on the tarmac, who clapped for her briefly. Harris' back was turned towards us during these hellos.

It was a little windy.

At one point, during her hello with Adams, Harris' called over her deputy director of engagement who joined the conversation before she got into her car at 5:29P

A question about the Trump and the debate was yelled but it was a bit soft so plausible she did not hear.

Motorcade rolling at 5:31P

From VP office:

Greeters at airport:

-Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines
-Winston-Salem Mayor Pro Tem Denise Adams
-Guilford County Board Chair Skip Alston

VP Pool Report #9: arrived at Greensboro Coliseum

VP's motorcade arrived at the Greensboro Coliseum at 5:54 and we did not see the VP enter.

This crowd seems to be much larger and most seats in the Coliseum are filled, likely a result of its after work hours timing. The crowd once once again has on their wrist bands, currently blue but they'll change colors. They are handing out "KAMALA" signs to a pretty revved up crowd.

More from campaign----

On behalf of the Harris-Walz Campaign:

Vice President Harris is delivering remarks at a rally at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. The rally will also include a performance by the band Brothers Osborne.

Speakers:
Harriz-Walz North Carolina campaign organizer Brianna Williams
Mo Green
Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan
Congresswoman Kathy Manning
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein
Governor Roy Cooper

Program:
Jazmin Rawls, Bennet College Student, Introducer
Vice President President Harris

VP Pool Report #10: Harris comes out, is running AHEAD of time

Harris came out after being introduced at 6:30P, 20 minutes earlier than scheduled. Will send remarks after

VP Pool Report #11: remarks end+ protester

Harris ended her remarks at 6:55PM. She didn't do ropeline again.

Harris held a more free-wheeling rally than the first here in Greensboro, stopping to engage with the crowd more than she did in Charlotte (perhaps because she started early). She was much more warmed up and animated here— and the crowd was much more hype.

"From the court room to the White House, my client have been the American people.," she said.

She taunted Trump on issues like small business, bringing up a line from the debate about being given money from his father then declaring bankruptcy. She delved more into her new home owners plan, child tax credit and small business.

"I will always put the middle class and working class families first, I know where I came from," she said to applause. "I'm clear about that."

She added, "Donald Trump has a different plan, just google Project 20205."

On healthcare, Harris gave similar remarks to Charlotte.

"You remember," she said, laughing with the crowd. "Concepts."

"We're 54 days to the end of this election. Concepts of a plan. Which means no actual plan." The vice president punctuated this section with her line "we're not going back," igniting chants across the Coliseum.

In the back, a pro-Gaza protester began shouting "war criminal," holding up a black and white sign that read '17,000 children.' It was on the opposite side of Harris, who did not stop, I think it's fair to question if it was close enough for the VP to see.

Enough people shouted him down and held up "KAMALA" and "A NEW WAY FORWARD" signs until he was removed by what appeared to be staff.

At 6:48, some in the crowd started chanting "medic," catching Harris' attention enough to stop and have her call for someone to go take a look.

"See this is who we are, we look out for each other," she added.

Starting again, Harris said so much is on the line, to which someone in the crowd yelled " you got this Kamala!"

She heard it and said, "we got this."

Harris gave remarks on presidential immunity and abortion before turning to the end of her remarks.

"We are the underdog," Harris said, to which one person yelled, "and we got fight!"

VP Pool Report #12: arrival at airport

Still ahead of schedule, the motorcade began rolling to the airport at 7:03. We arrived 20 min later.

She exited her SUV and then took quick photos with staff near the plane before boarding the plane at 725P

Consider this wheels up!

VP Pool Report #13: crowd size

From the campaign:

7.5k in Charlotte. Over 17k in Greensboro. About 25k total for the day in North Carolina between cities under two hours apart.

Taxing at 7:33P

VP Pool Report #14:AF2 wheels down and M2 wheels up

AF2 was wheels down at 8:24P after an uneventful but short ride.

The VP descended the steps at 8:33, saluted and then waved and walked to M2. M2 was wheels up at 8:39P

The office says they'll call a lid once she is home. Will update then

VP Pool Report #15: lid

From VP office:

Vice President Harris arrived at the Naval Observatory at 8:56. Calling a lid

That's all folks! Thanks for a fun day :)