Pool Reports by Michael Collins, USA Today
| Sent: | Reports: |
| June 9, 2024 13:24 CEST |
Out-of-town pool report #1: Rolling Good morning from Paris. Motorcade departed the Intercontinental Le Grand Hotel and is rolling at 1:21 pm local time. |
| June 9, 2024 13:32 CEST |
Out-of-town pool report #2: Arrival Motorcade arrived at a location near the Jardin des Champs-Elysées at 1:24 pm local time after a short, uneventful ride through Paris. Crowds lined the streets and held up their photos to take photos. Pool is holding in the vans. |
| June 9, 2024 13:49 CEST |
Out-of-town pool report #3: Event details The White House says POTUS is visiting the Chief of Mission Residence, home of the U.S. ambassador to France. It's common for the president to meet with embassy staffers and their families while visiting a foreign country. Traveling with the President and the First Lady via motorcade: Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs |
| June 9, 2024 13:56 CEST |
Out-of-town pool report #4: Photo line From the White House: Participating in a photo line with the President and the First Lady: T.H. Denise Campbell Bauer, Ambassador of the United States to the French Republic and to the Principality of Monaco, her spouse, Steven Bauer |
| June 9, 2024 14:24 CEST |
Out-of-town pool report #5: Rolling Motorcade is rolling again at 2:23 pm local time. Pool has not seen POTUS. |
| June 9, 2024 15:12 CEST |
Out-of-town pool report #6: Airport arrival Motorcade arrived at Paris-Orly Airport at 2:58 pm local time. Motorcade route took us through the streets of Paris, with a view of the Eiffel Tower in the distance. We then headed out of the city and through the Paris suburbs. At the airport, pool was immediately escorted to the helicopter and did not see POTUS board Marine One, which will take him to a landing zone near Aisne-Marne American Cemetery. We are wheels up at 3:11 pm local time. |
| June 9, 2024 15:45 CEST |
Out-of-town pool report #7: Landing zone arrival Marine One touched down at Chateau-Thierry-Belleau Aerodrome Landing Zone at 3:37 pm local time. POTUS and FLOTUS stepped off the helicopter a couple of minutes later and chatted briefly with their greeter. (Name is below.) They then walked to the motorcade and boarded a black SUV. We are rolling toward the cemetery at 3:44 pm. From the White House: Greeting the President and the First Lady on arrival to Château-Thierry – Belleau Aerodrome Landing Zone: Thomas Campeaux, Prefect of Aisne Traveling with the President and the First Lady aboard Marine One en route to Château-Thierry – Belleau Aerodrome Landing Zone: Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs |
| June 9, 2024 15:56 CEST |
Out-of-town pool report #8: Cemetery arrival The motorcade arrived at the cemetery 3:51 pm local time after driving past the green fields of the French countryside. A group of spectators at the entrance road to the cemetery watched the procession and took photos as we passed. We are waiting for the ceremony to begin. |
| June 9, 2024 16:17 CEST |
Out-of-town pool report #9: Ceremony begins At 3:59 pm, POTUS and the First Lady, holding hands, walked slowly to the steps of the cemetery chapel. POTUS saluted the military officers standing beside a floral wreath at the bottom of the steps. Then he took a few steps toward the wreath, placed his hands on it, stood silently for a few seconds and made the sign of the cross. A trumpet player standing on the chapel steps performed the taps. POTUS saluted again. On each side of the chapel are hundreds of graves marked by white headstones shaped like a cross. At 4:02 pm, POTUS and the First Lady walked back across the grass and headed to their SUV. POTUS stopped and made a few remarks to the press. Quotes to come. We are rolling again at 4:15 pm. From the White House: Greeting the President and the First Lady on arrival to Aisne-Marne American Cemetery: Major General Robert B. Sofge Jr., Commander Marine Forces, Europe and Africa, and his spouse, Adrienne Sofge |
| June 9, 2024 16:24 CEST |
Out-of-town pool report #10: POTUS quotes POTUS quotes: And the idea we can come to Normandy Beach, celebrate, show reverence for those we lost I'm probably not speaking loudly ... and not come here. You know the idea... And the idea that we were able to avoid being engaged in major battles in Europe. It's just not realistic. That's why it's so important that we continue to have that the allies that we have continue to beef up those alliances... . continue to keep NATO strong. Continue to do what we've been able to since the end of World War Two. So Jill and I wanted to come and pay our respects. More to come. From the White House: The President and the First Lady are paying their respects and participating in a wreath laying at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery. The Aisne-Marne American Cemetery is located on a 42.5-acre plot 50 miles outside of Paris, in the Belleau Wood area, the site of a significant battle during World War I. In June 1918, U.S. Marines conducted a successful counter-offensive against oncoming German forces. The cemetery contains the graves of 2,289 American war dead, most of whom fought in the Marne Valley, an area outside of Paris along the Marne River, and its vicinity, in the summer of 1918 during World War I. A monument of a U.S. Marine holding a rifle sits at the base of the cemetery's flagpole to commemorate the valor of the U.S. Marines who fought there to repel the German offensive in 1918. On the cemetery grounds there is also a memorial chapel, which has 1,060 names of missing service members inscribed on its interior walls, with rosettes marking the names of those since recovered and identified. |
| June 9, 2024 16:28 CEST |
Out-of-town pool report #11: More quotes WHY THIS CEMETERY? 'This is the most ... More Americans more Marines than lost here than any battle. The idea that I could come to Normandy and not make the short trip here to pay tribute. 'And it's the same story think about it. America showed up. America showed up to stop the Germans. America showed up make sure that they did not prevail. America shows up whenever needed, just like our allies show for us. Q:'You've criticized President Trump for not coming here on his trip. What message are you hoping to send to voters by being right now? #A; 'Any other question?' |
| June 9, 2024 16:34 CEST |
Out-of-town pool report #12: POTUS quotes Part 3 He talked repeatedly about the importance of alliances - and that's what he hoped watching Americans had seen. Do you think that Americans are not holding that view anymore 'No I don't ...I think there's a new a rising sense of some within in the country wanting that, the idea that we become semi isolationists, some are talking about the idea we had to wait all those months just to get the money for Iraq. I mean... That's not who we are, who America is.' |
| June 9, 2024 16:34 CEST |
Out-of-town pool report #13: back at landing zone Motorcade arrived back at the landing zone at 4:24 pm. The Bidens boarded Marine One three minutes later. We are wheels up at 4:33 pm. |
| June 9, 2024 17:01 CEST |
Out-of-town pool report #14: Otter of POTUS remarks Here is an Otter link to POTUS remarks at the cemetery: https://otter.ai/u/KwdxZAKaaH_OCADaS-yiBhXZF1c?utm_source=copy_url |
| June 9, 2024 17:18 CEST |
Out-of-town pool report #15: Aiport departure Marine One was wheels down at Paris-Orly at 5 pm location time. POTUS and the first lady stepped off the helicopter at 5:04 pm. They chatted briefly with the line of greeters awaiting them. (Names are below.) The pool was too far away to pick up any of the conversation. After posing for photos with the group, they boarded AF1 at 5:08 pm. We are rolling at 5:15 pm local time. Next stop: Philadelphia International Airport. From the White House: Traveling with the President and the First Lady aboard Marine One en route to Paris-Orly Airport: Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Greeting the President and the First Lady on arrival to Paris-Orly Airport: H.E. Laurent Bili, Ambassador of the French Republic to the United States |
| June 9, 2024 17:21 CEST |
Out-of-town pool report #16: Travelers From the White House: Traveling with the President and the First Lady aboard Air Force One en route to Philadelphia International Airport: Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs |
| June 9, 2024 18:29 EDT |
Out-of-town pool report #17: Philadelphia arrival AF1 was wheels down at Philadelphia International Airport at 6:26 pm. Wheels up time at Paris-Orly Airport was 5:23 pm local. Flight duration: Seven hours and three minutes. The return flight was uneventful. No visitors to the press cabin. |
| June 9, 2024 18:50 EDT |
Out-of-town pool report #18: Marine One departure POTUS and the first lady walked down the steps of AF1 at 6:41 pm. He waved to the pool but did not stop for questions. They immediately boarded Marine One, which was wheels up for Wilmington at 6:49 pm. And with that, I'm handing off to the supplemental pool in Wilmington. A special thanks to co-pooler Rob Crilly of the Daily Mail for lending a much-needed assist with these pool reports. From the White House Traveling with the President and the First Lady aboard Marine One en route to Delaware Air National Guard Base: Anthony Bernal, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the First Lady |
Pool Reports below by Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today
| Sent: | Reports: |
| June 9, 2024 19:13 EDT |
Out of town pool report #1– DANG arrival Marine One landed at DANG at 7:03 pm. The president and the first lady walked down the steps of Marine One at 7:09 pm and a few greeted officials. The motorcade started rolling at 7:12 pm. We are en route to his home. |
| June 9, 2024 19:27 EDT |
Out of Town Pool Report #2 The motorcade with the president and first lady arrived at his home at 7:24 pm. |
| June 9, 2024 19:37 EDT |
Out of Town Pool Report #3 A lid was called at 7:32 pm. Have a nice evening! |
Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Pool Reports of June 9, 2024 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/372641