First Lady Pool Reports of March 1, 2024

FLOTUS Pool Report #1: Atlanta, Georgia

On Friday, March 1, First Lady of the United States traveled to Atlanta, Georgia to launch Women for Biden-Harris, a national organizing campaign.

Six members of the local media were gathered into a white press van at Signature Aviation located near the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 1:47 p.m.

The press was kept inside the van until 1:58 because of heavy rain.

At 2:03, the press walked to a station where we awaited the arrival of the First Lady.

The Executive Foxtrot plane touched down at 2:19, and the First Lady disembarked the plane at 2:32 p.m., where she was greeted by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Clayton County Democratic Chairman Jeffrey Turner and Fulton County Democratic Chairman Robb Pitts.

The press were reloaded into the van at 2:34 and departed toward the next event.

FLOTUS Pool Report #2: Atlanta

The press arrived at Studio House Atlanta for the Women for Biden-Harris event at 2:50 p.m.

About 100-120 people, almost exclusively women – and mostly Black women, were in attendance. The crowd included county party chairs in Georgia, the Georgia Federation of Democratic Women, the Democratic Women Council and DNC members across the state.

The speakers, who opened the event around 2:58, introducing Dr. Jill Biden included Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Campaign Manager, Biden for President, Jonae Wartel, Senior Advisor for Georgia, Biden for President, Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon, Founder, Village Market Georgia, and Skye Jackson, 4th Year Student, Spelman College.

On the first day of Women's History Month, each speaker touched on their connection as a woman to their community and the importance of women voting in this upcoming presidential election.

"When women show up, we win. We did it in 2020. We can do it again in 2024," Rodriguez said.

Hamilton, who spoke about her work as an entrepreneur, said "Women lead movements and we do so with such intentionality. Women get things done."

Jackson, who said she would be a first-time voter this November, said her "fundamental freedoms, healthcare and democracy" are at stake in this election.

At 3:13, Biden, wearing a blue dress with colorful flowers and red heels, took the stage and thanked Georgia for its contribution to the Biden-Harris victory in 2020.

"It's no accident Georgia is where we chose," to launch the campaign, Biden said, because "four years ago, Georgia, you put us in the White House."

During her speech, she shared details of her courtship with President Joe Biden, mentioning that she knew accepting her marriage proposal would mean taking on his children as her own.

At 3:20, she put on her glasses to continue reading her prepared remarks.

She mentioned her concerns for this election include "book bans," "voting laws gutted" and "courts decisions that strip away our most basic freedoms," to which the crowd respond with emphatic agreements.

President Biden, she said, has worked to create a national law that restores reproductive rights including protecting In Vitro Fertilization and access to contraceptives.

He has also worked to make childcare more accessible and appointed a woman to the Supreme Court, she said.

Most significantly, she said, Biden authored the Violence Against Women Act which she said she watched him write on "reams on yellow legal paper by hand."

His opponent, Donald Trump, "spent a lifetime tearing us down and devaluing our existence," she said. "He mocks women's bodies, disrespects our accomplishments and brags about assault."

She also said he bragged about killing Roe v Wade to a chorus of groans from the audience.

She finished her speech at 3:28, with the song "I'm Good (Blue)" by Bebe Rexha and David Guetta playing her out.

She appeared to shake hands with members of the crowd, and the press was escorted into a van at 3:33.

FLOTUS pool report #3: Atlanta

At 3:44 the press van departed and at 3:49, the press made a stop at 3 Parks Wine in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood in Atlanta.

The First Lady entered the shop at 3:51, while the song "Lil Boo Thang" by Paul Russel played in the background.

The shop is female-owned, but she was not present. Her staff showed Biden around. They said they were named the #1 shop in the US by Wine Enthusiast magazine.

Biden joked that she likes wine. She asked questions about whether the shop serves food and provides tastings.

Staff also provided information about the development of Atlanta and the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood specifically.

Biden took tastings of wine and said she would buy two bottles, a red and a white.

Press were escorted out at 4:00 and at 4:06 the van departed.