Vice Presidential Pool Reports of July 23, 2024

VP Supplemental Pool #1

Good Morning from Joint Base Andrews. Vice President Kamala Harris has not arrived at JBA yet, but I just wanted to let you know that the AF2 departure time for Milwaukee (which was going to be 10:40am) has been updated to 11:05am.

I have requested guidance about who will be traveling with Harris today on AF2. But I wanted to flag that the Harris campaign sent out a note late last night detailing the leaders who will be joining Harris at the Milwaukee event:

The Vice President will be joined at the event by Governor Tony Evers, Senator Tammy Baldwin, Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez, Attorney General Josh Kaul, Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, State Superintendent Jill Underly, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Chair of the Milwaukee Board of Supervisors Marcelia Nicholson, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes Conway, former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, and Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler. Vice President Harris will also be joined by state labor leaders, including WI AFL-CIO President Stephanie Bloomingdale, LIUNA Wisconsin President Kent Miller, and President of Milwaukee Building Trades Dan Bukiewicz.

Let me know if you have any questions.

VP Supplemental Pool #2: Harris arrival at JBA

Vice President Kamala Harris arrived at JBA at 10:58am with her brother-in-law Tony West.

Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin was waiting by the stairs of AF2 at JBA to greet Harris she arrived. They joined hands and spoke briefly to greet one another.

AF2 is expected to depart at 11:05.

Your poolers have spotted campaign Chief of Staff Sheila Nix and Dean Lieberman, Deputy National Security Advisor to the Vice President.

VP Supplemental Pool #3

On Background From A White House Official:

Traveling with the Vice President Kamala Harris aboard Air Force Two en route to Milwaukee, WI:

Erin Wilson, Deputy Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the Vice President

Sheila Nix, Campaign Chief of Staff to the Vice President

Ernie Apreza, Special Assistant to the President and Press Secretary to the Vice President

Brian Fallon, Campaign Communications Director to the Vice President

Dean Lieberman, Special Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor to the Vice President for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting

VP Supplemental Pool #4

AF2 is wheels up at 11:15am.

VP Supplemental Pool #5: Arrival MKE

AF2 is wheels down at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport at 12:46pm ET.

The vice president spoke briefly to reporters off the record on the plane before it took off at 11:15am ET from JBA.

She is still on track to speak at her event in Milwaukee at 1:05 CT.

Vice President Harris arrived outside the event site at West Allis Central High School at 1:31pm ET.

Several families on the sidewalk outside were cheering and held hand painted signs on a nearby lawn that said "We love u Kamala." Another sign said "Kamala Harris changes lives. Watch her change the world."

Pool was escorted by them before Harris had exited the SUV; so it was unclear whether she saw them. But some of the supporters were shouting "Welcome to Milwaukee."

The bleachers are full on both sides of the very warm gym of West Allis Central High School and several hundred more people are on the main gym floor in front of the stage. Many are fanning themselves.

In the bleachers, there are signs that just say KAMALA. Plain background; some are white and some are black. On the back the signs just say "USA." Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation" was playing on the loud speakers and now "Tambourine" by Eve.

To get to the event site, the motorcade traveled on the highway along the shore of Lake Michigan. We passed near Fiserv Forum — where former President Trump was nominated at the GOP convention. But the arena did not appear to be within Harris's sightline as the motorcade passed through downtown.

There were a few scattered onlookers who filmed the motorcade from the roadside, as well others who watched from their front lawns as it passed.

Earlier when Harris landed in MKE, she was greeted by Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, who was wearing sneakers, and several other people including two small girls in white dresses. We are still awaiting guidance from OVP in those other names.

Harris and Evers hugged twice.

Harris did not take any questions from reporters on the Tarmac either upon departure or landing.

Motorcade left the Milwaukee airport and rolled to the event at 1:11pm ET.

The people greeting Vice President Kamala Harris at the MKE airport included the following people, according to a White House official:

- Governor Tony Evers (D-WI)
- Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez (D-WI)
- Mayor Cavalier Johnson (D-Milwaukee, WI)
- Dominique Johnson, Spouse of Mayor Johnson

Kamala Harris took the stage to long sustained cheers in Milwaukee as people in the audience waved black and white "Kamala" signs from the bleachers at West Allis Central High School.

She highlighted her experience as a "courtroom prosecutor" and as attorney general of California as she outlined her case against former President Donald Trump.

"In those roles, I took on perpetrators of all kinds. Predators who abused women. Fraudsters who ripped off consumers. Cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain," she said. "So hear me when I say I know Donald Trump's type. In this campaign, I promise you, I will proudly put my record against his any day of the week."

The crowd roared in response, shouting "Kamala! Kamala! Kamala!"
Harris added that "This campaign is not just about us versus Donald Trump. This campaign is about who we fight for."

She said Trump is relying on support from billionaires and big corporations and accused Trump of "trading access in exchange for campaign contributions."

By contrast, she said Democrats "are running a people powered campaign" and noted that to cheers that the campaign "just had the best 24 hours of grassroots fundraising in presidential campaign history."

She also criticized Project 2025.

Harris was interrupted by one lone protester, who shouted "Will you stop the genocide in Palestine?" but he was quickly drowned out by the crowd and it would have been impossible for most people to hear what he was saying.

Harris noted the critical role that Wisconsin will play in the campaign.

'The path to the White House goes through Wisconsin. And to win in Wisconsin we are counting on you right here in Milwaukee," Harris said. "In 2024, we will win again."

She closed her remarks by calling on her supporters to get out and work:

"We have doors to knock on. We have phone calls to make, we have voters to register, and we have an election to win," Harris said. "So Wisconsin, today I ask you, are you ready to get to work?"

She began a call-response where the crowd answered yes to each of her questions.

" Do we believe in freedom?" she asked.

"Yes!" the crowd responded.

" Do we believe in opportunity?" she asked.

"Yes," they shouted.

"Do we believe in the promise of America?" Harris said.

"Yes!" was the response.

"And are we ready to fight for it?"

"Yes!" they replied.

"And when we fight, we win," Harris said in closing. "God bless you. God bless the United States of America."

Just a note that at the very beginning of her remarks, Harris praised President Biden, calling it "one of the great honors of my life to serve him." She said she was honored to have his endorsement.

(Apologies for the delay, Wifi and cell phone service has not been working in the gym)

From Campaign Officials, this was the run of show:

Pre-Program

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jill Underly
Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski
Attorney General Josh Kaul
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley

Program

Governor Tony Evers
Senator Tammy Baldwin
The Vice President will be introduced by Leia Esser, a Wisconsin educator who received student loan relief under the Biden-Harris administration
Vice President Kamala Harris

VP Supplemental Pool #9

Upon departure from MKE, Harris ignored most shouted questions on the tarmac. But she turned when someone asked her how it felt.

"Good," she mouthed with a thumbs up.

Wheels up 3:35 ET

VP Supplemental Pool #10: Wheels down at JBA

Vice President Kamala Harris landed at JBA at 5:01pm ET.

Harris deplaned and did not take any questions on the tarmac. Marine Two took off at 5:17pm ET.

One last note of color:

Just before departing in Milwaukee, Wisc Sen. Tammy Baldwin walked through the back of the plane. When asked whether the vibe at Harris's rally felt different, she replied: "Absolutely."

Pressed on whether she had seen that same kind of energy and reception from Democratic voters earlier in this cycle, Baldwin demurred.

"It was delightful. I mean they were really fired up," she said. "It was great to see."

Signing off as your pooler here at JBA.