Pool Reports of February 7, 2020

WH in-town pool report #1/ Checking in

Greetings from the White House on a very rainy day. POTUS has sent out a few tweets so far on topics including his impeachment trial acquittal, Democratic caucuses in Iowa and actor James Woods.

WH in-town pool report #2/ Pool gathers

Pool has gathered outside the south portico, awaiting POTUS departure. Rain is lighter than before.

WH in-town pool report #3/ POTUS starts speaking

POTUS emerged from the south portico at 11.16am and stopped to talk to reporters, first about his emoluments win in court. He is taking questions and hard to hear.

Marine One is nearby on the south lawn.

WH in-town pool report #4/ POTUS summary

POTUS spoke for seven minutes on topics including Nancy Pelosi tearing up his speech - "she broke the law," - job numbers, his conversation with President Xi of China and Democrats' vote counting troubles in Iowa. Asked if his House impeachment should be expunged, he said it should because it was a "hoax".

Marine One took off at 11.27am.

Transcribed remarks to follow.

WH in-town pool report #5/ POTUS's comments on Pelosi and SOTU

POTUS on Nancy Pelosi tearing up his state of the union address:

"Well, I thought it was a terrible thing when she ripped up the speech. First of all, it's an official document. You're not allowed, it's illegal what she did. She broke the law.

"But I haven't been asked the question other than a lot of people that viewed it, they couldn't believe that she did it. I thought it was terrible. I thought it was very disrespectful to the chamber, to the country.

"I got very high marks for the speech and I didn't know she did it until I was walking out and some of the Congressmen and women were saying, 'Can you believe what she did? But I didn't know she did."

POTUS on Democrats:

"Well, I think there's a lot of evil on that side. They've gone crazy, they've gone totally crazy. It's too bad. I've got tremendous amounts of stuff, more than anybody's gotten done in three years by far. But they're not constructive people.

"I do work with Democrats, I work with everybody but that group is, you know, they say 'Trump derangement syndrome'. They've got it. They've got a bad case of it. You saw that, that was on display the other night when she ripped up the speech. That was terrible, so disrespectful to our country and actually very illegal, what she did."

More to follow.

WH in-town pool report #7/ POTUS on jobs, Iowa and China

POTUS on the latest jobs report:

"I have to say this. We just came out with fantastic job numbers. I think it was 230,000 or something thereabouts, which was much higher than projections. So jobs continue to be great. Our country continues to do great. I'm now going to North Carolina. Some of you maybe are coming but the jobs report just came out and it's great."

Asked if he still wants Ukraine to dig up dirt on political rivals like Joe Biden, POTUS said:

"No. These people, they're their own people. I'm not their boss and I don't think they've done anything, as far as I know. But it's very sad what happened with the Bidens and it's also very sad how he's doing, how he's doing in the polls.

"Now I understand the votes are fried in Iowa. They couldn't even take a simple tabulation and yet they're telling you how to run the country and how to run healthcare. I think they fried their votes on computer. Think of it, all the money that Democrats spent and the votes are fried. They have no idea who won. They have no idea.

"But I'll tell you who won on the Republican side. They accounted for every single vote and it was a lot of votes. It was a record setting number of votes. Trump won."

Responding to more questions about the Democratic race for president, he said:

"Well, you don't know what happened in Iowa because if you look, I mean they're essentially tied. But they couldn't keep tabulation of their votes."

POTUS added, "Everybody's a threat, I view everybody as a threat," then pointed at John Roberts of Fox News and joked, "I even view John as a threat. You never know." Pointing at a microphone, he said: "That's wet!"

POTUS was asked about China and the coronavirus.

He said: "China's working very hard. Late last night I had a very good talk with President Xi and we talked mostly about the coronavirus. They're working really hard and I think they're doing a very professional job. They're in touch with the World Health Organisation; CDC also. We're working together but World Health is working with them, CDC is working with them. I had a great conversation last night with President Xi. It's a tough situation. I think they're doing a very good job."

Asked if his impeachment in the House of Representatives should be expunged, POTUS said:

"They should because it was a hoax. That's a very good question. Should they expunge the impeachment in the House? They should because it was a hoax. It was a total political hoax."

The last question was how POTUS will unify the country.

He replied: "You know what's going to unify the country? And it's already unified in a lot of ways. All you have to do is look at our crowds and look at our support. But what unifies it is the great success. Our country today is more successful than it has ever been and that's unifying the country."

Wearing dark coat, suit, white shirt and red tie, POTUS then waved and walked across the damp south lawn to Marine One and departed.

WH in-town pool report #8/ Pool gathers

Pool has gathered near the south lawn in readiness for POTUS's return. It is cold but sunny.

WH in-town pool report #9/ Marine One arrives

Marine One touched down on the south lawn at 5pm.

WH in-town pool report #10/ No remarks

POTUS disembarked Marine One at 5.03pm and, wearing winter coat, walked across the south lawn towards the Oval Office. He smiled, waved and gave thumbs up signs to reporters but did not approach them or answer shouted questions regarding "payback" and "retaliation" against Colonel Vindman.

WH in-town pool report #11/ Dinner lid

A dinner lid was called until 6.30pm.

WH in-town pool report #13/ On the move

Motorcade is rolling out of the White House grounds.

WH in-town pool report #14/ Arrival at venue

At 7.10pm, after a smooth two-minute journey, the motorcade arrived at the Andrew W Mellon Auditorium. Your pooler did not see POTUS but did glimpse dinner guests sitting and talking at tables.

Pool is now holding in a downstairs room.

WH in-town pool report #15/ Back in motorcade

Pool returned to the motorcade holding outside the Andrew W Mellon Auditorium at 8.15pm.

Out of town pool report #1: JBA departure

Hello from JBA where it's wet and windy. Marine One landed here at 11:35 a.m. The president stepped off, waved at the pool without coming over to talk and boarded Air Force One at 11:40.

Your pooler saw Mick Mulvaney, Dan Scavino and Eric Ueland accompany him.

Rep. Mark Meadows is among those traveling with the president to Charlotte today. Hogan Gidley popped by the press cabin before takeoff to say hello, and he said he would send along a fuller list of lawmakers on board.

We are taxiing for takeoff at 11:44.

Out of town pool report #2: Charlotte arrival and lawmakers on board

Air Force One was wheels down in Charlotte at 12:47 p.m. after an uneventful flight. TVs displayed Fox News in the press cabin.

Hogan Gidley popped his head in to make sure pool received the following list of lawmakers who are traveling with the president on Air Force One to today's event:

Rep. Joe Wilson
Rep. Virginia Foxx
Rep. Patrick Mchenry
Rep. Richard Hudson
Rep. Mark Meadows
Rep. Mark Walker
Rep. Ted Budd
Rep. Ralph Norman
Rep. William Timmons
Rep. Dan Bishop
Rep. Greg Murphy

Out of town pool report #3: Rolling to event site

POTUS deplaned at 1:07 and shook hands with local officials.

A group of supporters gathered nearby chanted "four more years." The president waved at them, then he climbed into the Beast, and pool hustled into press vans.

The lawmakers who were on board deplaned separately and posed for a group photo.

We are rolling at 1:10 to Central Piedmont Community College, where the president is set to deliver remarks at an Opportunity Now Summit.

The White House passes along the following list of greeters who met Trump on the tarmac in Charlotte:

State Senator Jim Perry
State Senator from North Carolina's 7^th. State Senate District
State Senator Kathryn Harrington
State Senator from North Carolina's 43^rd State Senate District
State Representative Lisa Barnes
State Representative from North Carolina's 7^th State House District
Col Bryony Terrell
145^th Wing Commander, North Carolina Air National Guard
TSgt Mi'Kaila Emmerita Jones
North Carolina Air National Guard
SMSgt Matthew Ciampa
North Carolina Air National Guard
Louis DeJoy
President of LDJ Global Strategies, LLC

Out of town pool report #4: event site arrival

Motorcade arrived at Central Piedmont Community College at 1:25 and was situated in the theater at 1:30 for the president's remarks.

The ride over was dotted with onlookers recording on their phones as the motorcade passed by. One woman flipped the the bird as the motorcax drove by.

A small protest was amassed near the building where POTUS is speaking. They held signs reading "traitor," "arrest the president" and "f*** you." There were a few supporters waving a Trump flag as well.

Pool did not see POTUS exit the motorcade and enter the building.

The president's remarks will be live-streamed on the White House website, so I will not be pooling the entirety of his comments.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

I will send along highlights and color from the theater.

Out of town pool report #5: Event starting

POTUS took the stage at 1:51 p.m. following a warm-up track of many of his usual campaign rally staples. "Beat It," Time is on My Side," "Macho Man," etc.

HUD Secretary Ben Carson introduced the president before he took the stage. He quipped that Trump "reminds me of my mother" in that he understands a good education is the key to a good job. Carson also defended Trump's character, saying he is not a racist and is driven "by a sense of kindness and compassion."

The people who wash the dishes at Mar-a-Lago "love him," Carson said.

GOP lawmakers are seated on stage on risers behind the podium. One notable addition is Sen. Thom Tillis, who is up for reelection in November. Local officials are on another riser behind the podium.

Reminder that these remarks are streaming on the White House webpage.

Out of town pool report #6: Remarks wrapping up

POTUS concluded his remarks at 2:49 p.m. He opened by saying similar "Opportunity Now" events would take place in other cities around the country and spoke generally about the importance of opportunity zones in revitalizing underserved communities.

The president covered numerous other topics, as well.

He recognized each of the lawmakers in attendance. He referenced the "failed impeachment hoax." He boasted about the new jobs report and low unemployment among African Americans. He said he's seen some people "start to cry" when they walk in the Oval Office. He highlighted his campaign's Super Bowl ad that spotlighted Alice Marie Johnson and criminal justice reform. He mocked the chaos surrounding the Democratic Iowa caucuses.

Pool is hustling back to press vans.

Out of town pool report #7: rolling to airport

Motorcade is rolling back to the Charlotte airport at 2:57. Pool could not see POTUS leaving the arena.

Out of town pool report #8: Departing Charlotte

Motorcade arrived back at the Charlotte airport at 3:12 p.m. after an uneventful ride.

Pool did not see the president board the plane.

We are taxiing for takeoff at 3:23 and will be wheels up shortly for the trip back to JBA.

Out of town pool report #9: JBA arrival

Air Force One was wheels down at JBA at 4:21 p.m. following an uneventful flight. Fox News was on the TVs, featuring reports on coronavirus, the Democratic primary and Lt. Col. Vindman.

The president deplaned at 4:41 and made his way to Marine One without talking to the pool. He was followed by Dan Scavino, Hogan Gidley and other aides. Ben Carson, Mark Meadows and others deplaned separately.

Marine One was taxiing for lift off at 4:45. Handing off to in-town pool. Have a great weekend!