Pool Reports of April 14, 2021

Pool report 4/14 #1

Good morning. I will be your pooler today.

The president will go with the First Lady to a medical procedure this morning. Pool is gathering at direction of loud speaker.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Pool report 4/14 #2

Pool is rolling as of 6:45 a.m. from the driveway on South Lawn. Pooler did not see the president enter his car before we left.

Pool report 4/14 #3

Motorcade arrived at office building downtown at 6:55 a.m. Pooler could not see if president exited the car. Press van pulled off to side and parked at 7:02 a.m. We have been holding since then.

Pool report 4/14 #4

The pool vans pulled away from office building at 8:46 a.m. Pooler did not see president exit.

Pool vans arrived at White House (South Lawn) at 8:53 a.m. POTUS and FLOTUS exited car together.

Pool report 4/14 #4a

Your pooler received the following statement regarding the first lady’s medical appointment.

From Elizabeth Alexander, Communications Director for the First Lady:

The First Lady tolerated the procedure well and is headed back to the White House to resume her normal schedule.

Pool report 4/14 #5

A breakfast lid was called at 9:05 a.m. until noon.

(For those wondering, press office played "Good Morning Baltimore" from Hairspray to announce it over loud speaker.)

Pool report 4/14 #6

The White House sent the following to pooler.

Excerpts from President Biden’s Remarks on Afghanistan As Prepared for Delivery

We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan hoping to create the ideal conditions for our withdrawal, expecting a different result.

I am now the fourth American president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan. Two Republicans. Two Democrats.

I will not pass this responsibility to a fifth.

After consulting closely with our Allies and partners, with our military leaders and intelligence professionals, with our diplomats and development experts, and with Congress and the Vice President, I have concluded that:

It is time to end America’s longest war. It is time for American troops to come home.

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While we will not stay involved in Afghanistan militarily, our diplomatic and humanitarian work will continue.

We will continue to support the Government of Afghanistan.

We will keep providing assistance to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. Along with our partners, we are training and equipping nearly 300,000 personnel. And they continue to fight valiantly on behalf of their country and defend the Afghan people, at great cost.

We will support peace talks between the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban, facilitated by the United Nations.

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We went to Afghanistan because of a horrific attack that happened 20 years ago.

That cannot explain why we should remain there in 2021.

Rather than return to war with the Taliban, we have to focus on the challenges that will determine our standing and reach today and into the years to come.

Pool report 4/14 #7

A two-minute warning for the briefing was called at 12:35 p.m.

Pool report 4/14 #7a

Press secretary Jen Psaki began briefing at 12:38 p.m.

Pool report 4/14 #8

The president’s speech on Afghanistan will now happen closer to 2:30, per a message sent from White House to your pooler.

Pool report 4/14 #9

The president is now speaking about Afghanistan. Your print pooler is not in the room for the speech, access only for limited pool. Will advise on any details pooler receives on speech from White House.

Pool report 4/14 #10

Pool is now loaded in the vans on the North Lawn. We are holding.

Pool report 4/14 #10a

Pool is now rolling as of 2:56 p.m. to Arlington National Cemetery.

Pool report 4/11 #11

The president exited his car at 3:09 p.m. at Arlington National Cemetery. It was raining. He was greeted by (per press office):

Karen Durham-Aguilera, Executive Director Army National Military Cemeteries, Arlington National Cemetery and Office of Army Cemeteries

SGM Patrick D. Thomas, Senior Enlisted Advisor, Office of Army Cemeteries

He walked through the grass past several headstones. He carried an umbrella in his hand but did not use it. He stopped to look at a red, white, and blue wreath.

He looked at reporters and said: "Hard to believe, isn't it?"

He then took two questions from reporters. One was about what this moment means to him and another about whether pulling troops out of Afghanistan was a hard decision. It was difficult to hear answers, here are some highlights. Will need to check tape for direct quotes.

First question: "I'm always amazed at generation after generation, the women, the men prepared to give their lives for their country."

Second question: "No it wasn't" a hard decision to make. "It was absolutely clear."

Pool loaded in vans as of 3:19 p.m. Rolling as of 3:22 p.m.

Pool report 4/14 #11 - correction

Correction: the date is 4/14, not 4/11.

Pool report 4/14 #12

The White House called a travel/photo lid (shortly after the pool arrived back at the White House) at 3:38 p.m.

Will work on getting you fuller quotes from the cemetery shortly.

Pool report 4/14 #13

Special thanks to TV poolers for help with audio. Here are quotes from POTUS visit to Arlington National Cemetery and a few more details.

Details:

After walking through the grass, he stopped at the wreath and held it. He made the sign of the cross and then saluted.

Quotes:

Reporter: What does this day mean for you? (Not a direct quote.)

"It means that I'm always amazed at generation after generation, the women and men prepared to give their lives for their country. They don't give it for their country per se, they give it for their brothers, their sisters, their mothers, their fathers, their uncles, their aunts."

"It means I have trouble these days ever showing up at a cemetery not thinking of my son, Beau, who proudly insisted on putting on that uniform and going with his unit to Iraq and giving up his spot as attorney general in the state of Delaware because he thought it was the right thing to do."

Reporter: "Was it a hard decision to make sir?"

POTUS: "No, it wasn't. To me, it was absolutely clear. Absolutely clear. We went for two reasons: the end of Bin Laden and the end of safe haven. From the very beginning, you may recall, I never thought we were there to somehow unify Iraq. Excuse me, Afghanistan. It's never been done. It's never been done."