First Lady Pool Reports of September 27, 2023

First Lady Pool Report 1

First lady Jill Biden arrived at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday alongside Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. She was greeted by Alex Burden, executive director of the Harry S. Truman Library Institute, Kurt Graham, director of the library and museum and Madeleine McDonough, vice chair of the library's board. She was also greeted by Jackson County Executive Frank White and Independence Mayor Rory Rowland.

She met with local teachers who spoke about the ways they use library programming in history and civics education.

Biden then met with William Chrisman High School Students as they completed an activity in the library's White House Decision Center in which they simulated Truman's decision to desegregate the armed forces.

Biden listened as three students who played the role of the president explained why they chose to desegregate the military in the simulation and took questions from other students.

Speaking to the students after the simulation, Biden complimented them for participating. She urged them to run for office or work in government someday.

"I think that people really have a negative opinion of government, you know, they don't see the hard work, they don't see the perseverance," she said. "They don't see all the thought and the hard work and the critical thinking that go into each and every decision."

Biden visited Truman's burial site in the library's courtyard and left flowers before leaving.

Background from the east wing.

On Wednesday, September 27, the First Lady will travel to Kansas City, Missouri to visit the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum to highlight their programming to support civic literacy and education in the local community. In the evening, the First Lady will attend and deliver remarks at a political event for the Biden Victory Fund.

Airport Arrival:

At 3:00 PM, the First Lady will arrive at Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport in Kansas City, Missouri. The First Lady will be greeted by:

• Mayor Quinton Lucas, City of Kansas City
• Katherine Carttar, Spouse of Mayor Quinton Lucas

Visit to Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum
At 3:30 PM, the First Lady will visit the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri to highlight their programming to support civic literacy and education in the local community. Dr. Biden will tour the museum and meet with local high school students and teachers.
Upon arrival to the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, the First Lady will be greeted by:

• Mayor Quinton Lucas, City of Kansas City
• Mayor Rory Rowland, City of Independence
• Alex Burden, Executive Director, Harry S. Truman Library Institute
• Kurt Graham, Director, Harry S. Truman Library and Museum
• Madeleine McDonough, Board Vice Chair, Truman Library Institute Board of Directors
• Frank White Jr., Jackson County Executive

Stop One: Civics Gallery Tour
Dr. Biden will join Mayor Lucas, Mayor Rowland, Executive Director Burden, and Director Graham, and Executive White, in touring the museum's Civics Gallery and learning about how local teachers work with the museum on civics and history education.

The briefing will be led by local teachers:

• Angie Allison, Oak Grove High School
• Kurtis Werner, Park Hill School District
• Cameron May, Frontier School of Excellence

Stop Two: White House Decision Center Simulation
Following the Civics Gallery, Dr. Biden and the tour group will observe a group of 10th grade AP U.S. History students from William Chrisman High School participating in an interactive civics lesson through the museum's White House Decision Center. Their session will be focused on President Truman's 1948 decision to desegregate the armed services.

Participating in the simulation:

• Pam Stafford, Teacher, Independence School District
• Sadie Troy, Director, White House Decision Center
• Jacob Gragg, Student, William Chrisman High School
• D'Andre Roberson, Student, William Chrisman High School

The White House Decision Center is a nationally recognized hands-on history lab where participants step into the roles of President Truman and his advisors, work with formerly classified primary source documents, and collaborate to tackle some of history's greatest challenges. Nearly 95,000 students and adults have experienced the Center.
Stop Three: Harry S. Truman Library Courtyard
Following the White House Decision Center simulation, Dr. Biden will visit the burial site of President Harry Truman and First Lady Bess Truman.
Additional background on First Lady Jill Biden:

• Dr. Biden continues to teach English and writing at Northern Virginia Community College, where she has been a professor since 2009.
• As a classroom teacher for more than 30 years, the First Lady continues to shine a spotlight on education and advocate for increased educational opportunities for all students.

Background on the Truman Presidential Library & Museum
Established in 1957, the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum preserves and provides access to President Truman's historical materials. Through engaging exhibits and programs, the Library aspires to reach a broad and diverse audience to keep President Truman's life and legacy alive, emphasizing his ideals of citizenship, learning, and service. It is operated by the National Archives and Records Administration and its Director is Dr. Kurt Graham.

The Truman Library Institute is the member-supported, nonprofit partner of the Truman Library & Museum. It draws on President Truman's legacy to enrich public understanding of history, the presidency, and America's unique form of government. The Institute funds world-class museum exhibits, a robust international research grant program, public forums, and nationally acclaimed education programs serving more than 50,000 students and teachers each year.
President Truman founded the Truman Library Institute to ensure that his presidential library would flourish as a "classroom for democracy," where young people, especially, might better understand the American presidency and the fundamental principles governing our democracy, while finding inspiration to choose lives of service and purpose.

Political Event:

At 5:30 PM, the First Lady will attend and deliver remarks at a political event for the Biden Victory Fund in Kansas City, MO. This event will be covered by a print pooler only.

First Lady Pool Report 2

First Lady Jill Biden spoke at a fundraiser Wednesday held at the home of Dan Nilsen in Kansas City, MO.

Ursula Terrasi, national co-chair of the Women's Leadership Forum, was the first speaker at the fundraiser. She was followed by Nilsen and John Middelkamp.

Several Kansas and Missouri leaders were in attendance including Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas, MO state Rep. Patty Lewis, KS state Rep. Mari Lynn Poskin and former KS state Senator and U.S. Senate candidate Barbara Bollier. Jeanna Repass, the chair of the Kansas Democratic Party, and Matthew Peterson, executive director of the Missouri Democratic Party, were also in attendance.

In a speech to donors in Nilsen's Kansas City backyard Biden spoke about her marriage to President Joe Biden, his accomplishments and concerns of the consequences if Republicans take back the White House.

She pointed to a looming government shutdown as a key example.

Biden said world leaders and their spouses came up to her at the U.N. General Assembly and told her what a "relief it was to have the U.S. back."

"Look what's going on right this week," Biden said. "I mean government shutdowns, ridiculous impeachment, playing politics instead of governing, instead of joining Joe and getting things done for the American people."

"This is why we have very clear choices: chaos, corruption, and crisis, or strong, steady leadership that actually gets things done."

Biden also made a reference to the Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce romance that has been consuming Kansas City (and the swiftie-verse).

"It's been quite a week for visitors," she said.

Background on behalf of the Biden-Harris campaign:

The First Lady's fundraiser in Kansas City is at the home of Dan Nilsen in support of the Biden Victory Fund