First Lady Pool Reports of May 27, 2021

May 27, 2021

Pool Reports by Kate Bennett, CNN

Sent: Reports:
May 27, 2021 [APP Note: Report #1 does not exist or was not received by the APP.]
May 27, 2021
10:15

FLOTUS pool #2/ WH departure & trip background

FLOTUS departed the White House (east side) at 9:20am. Your pooler did not get a glimpse.
We are en route to JBA.

Here is background on today’s trip, provided by FLOTUS press secretary Michael LaRosa:

The First Lady will visit two COVID-19 vaccination clinics: the first one at Grand Rapids Community College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the second one at Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, Missouri. Her visit will highlight the Biden administration’s partnerships between vaccine providers in the federal retail pharmacy program and high-enrollment community colleges to provide on-site vaccination clinics for students, staff, and local communities. The First Lady’s visit will mark the first clinics organized through this partnership.

At both vaccination clinics, she will stop by three stations: registration, vaccination, and observation. At the end of the tour, she will give a brief statement to the press.

PARTICIPANTS – GRAND RAPIDS, MI

Arrival Greet at Gerald R. Ford International Airport
• Congressman Peter Meijer (R, MI-03)

Arrival Greet at Grand Rapids Community College
• Dr. Bill Pink, President of Grand Rapids Community College

Visit to COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic
• Ms. Yasheka Sharma, Rite Aid
• Mayor Rosalynn Bliss (D, Grand Rapids)
• Congressman Peter Meijer (R, MI-03)

PARTICIPANTS – KANSAS CITY, MO

Arrival Greet at Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport
• Mayor Quinton Lucas (D, Kansas City)
• Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D, MO-05)

Arrival Greet at Metropolitan Community College
• Dr. Tyjaun Lee, President, Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley

Visit to COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic
• Ms. Vickie Abbott, Costco
• Mayor Quinton Lucas (D, Kansas City)
• Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D, MO-05)

BACKGROUND

Community Colleges Nationwide to Host Vaccine Sites: The President announced that as part of ongoing efforts to reach students to get vaccinated, the Administration will launch partnerships between federal retail pharmacy partners and high-enrollment community colleges to provide on-site vaccination clinics for students, staff, and local communities. These community colleges will work to get word out to students, staff, and local communities to make use of these clinics, especially for students who are on or nearby campus this summer. The program builds on the strong success of the federal pharmacy program in reaching local communities, including through over 6,000 mobile vaccination clinics across the program to date. Community colleges are key anchors in our communities, with significant reach into the geographies they serve and a great diversity of students enrolled.

Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC): Today’s clinic will be Grand Rapids Community College’s first on-campus COVID-19 vaccination clinic. As an incentive, GRCC is offering a free parking pass for the summer semester for any student who gets vaccinated at Thursday’s clinic. GRCC is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Metropolitan Community College (MCC): Today’s clinic will be Metropolitan Community College’s first on-campus COVID-19 vaccination clinic. MCC is offering a free class as an incentive for anyone who receives a COVID-19 vaccine at the clinic. The class can be up to 3 credit hours ($348 value). MCC-Penn Valley is located in Kansas City, Missouri.

FLOTUS TRAVELING STAFF
Anthony Bernal, Senior Advisor
Julissa Reynoso, Chief of Staff
Mala Adiga, Director of Policy & Projects
Michael LaRosa, Press Secretary
Jordan Montoya, Trip Director & Director of Advance
Sonya Sackner-Bernstein, COVID Senior Policy Advisor

May 27, 2021
10:16

FLOTUS pool #3/ JBA arrival/departure

After an uneventful motorcade FLOTUS arrived at JBA at 9:42am and quickly boarded Executive One Foxtrot. She is wearing a brown pantsuit today. Biden gave a brief wave - not many of us press today, just me and Carolyn Kaster, though we are told we will be joined by local press on the ground at both stop.

We will shortly be wheels up for the approximately 1.5 hour flight to Grand Rapids.

May 27, 2021
11:48

FLOTUS pool #4/ Arrival in Grand Rapids

Touched down in Grand Rapida at 11:23, FLOTUS emerged at 11:34.

She was greeted by Congressman Peter Meijer (R) (one of just ten Republicans who voted to impeach Trump) who will join for the visit to the vaccination clinic at Grand Rapids Community College.

We are about ten minutes motorcade from the site.

May 27, 2021
12:51

FLOTUS pool #5/ Grand Rapids Community College, remarks

FLOTUS took a tour of a parking lot pop-up vaccination clinic at a building on the campus of Grand Rapids Community College, which was sponsored by Rite-Aid, one of the first in a partnership between the administration and vaccine providers in the federal retail pharmacy program and community colleges.

Biden first went to the registration set-up, then onto the next tented area several feet away, where she met the pharmacist administrators of the vaccine. Finally, she went to the last tented area where 9 students who had just received the Pfizer vaccine were waiting. Biden spoke with them for several minutes, but your pool was only able to catch a few bits of the beginning of the conversation, where she asked them if their arms were hurting and then advised, "keep moving them!" while motioning her own arm in a circle. She asked the students what they were studying and told them that she was a community college professor herself back in Virginia – then your pool was moved out of earshot.

FLOTUS then moved to a small podium in front of the press (several local media present) and made short remarks about the importance of being vaccinated. (She started by saying that she had "posted grades" for her college class on May 1st, so she appears to be done with the term.)\

Snippets here, fuller transcript to come – we are already in movement back to the plane to head to Kansas City, MO.

"WE can see how far we've come from this really difficult time. And so many people have told me they're finally feeling hopeful and optimistic."
"This is all based on science. The vaccine is safe and effective and it saves lives."
"Joe and I got our shots, and …you know you barely feel it, it's over in a second."
Your pooler had a chance to ask a quick question, about what FLOTUS thinks of the different incentives states are offering to get people vaccinated.
"I think it's great. Anything it takes,. You know it's kind of like getting your kids to eat their vegetables, promising, you know, you can get a toy or whatever. Whatever it takes, I'm in favor of it. Because that's the only way we're going to get this country back to what we were before."

She then headed inside the building to take photos, per LaRosa. Your pool was taken back to the van.

We are a few minutes out from the airport where we will (re)board for the one-hour flight to Kansas City …

May 27, 2021
15:23

FLOTUS pool #6/ Kansas City arrival

FLOTUS landed at 1:30CT and several minutes later - after a small hiccup with the airplane steps — deplaned and chatted briefly with KC Mayor Quinton Lucas and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver. She also posed for a quick photo and shook hands with airport first responders.

We are now en route to Metropolitan Community College, approximately five minutes motorcade away.

The visit will be similar to the last one - tour, speak, remarks.

May 27, 2021
15:44

FLOTUS pool #7/ Metropolitan CC, .FLOTUS tour and remarks

In much the same way as she toured the Grand Rapids vaccination site, FLOTUS did the same her, only inside a school building. This site is a pop-up and no appointments for vaccinations are required – the students, however, are being lured/rewarded with tuition vouchers for three free credits. Biden passed out some of the vouchers to students who had received shots in the post-vaccination waiting area.

She gave similar commentary to the waiting students and staff, noting how quick and easy the shot was when she had it. The first lady also played up her comfort with being inside a community college ("I feel right at home!")

Biden then moved to a podium and gave brief remarks to about a dozen local media, echoing those she delivered at our previous stop in Michigan: the time is now to get vaccinated so "we've got to spread the word."

"I love that, we're taking care of one another."

FLOTUS was asked by a local media how she plans to get those who are still hesitant to get vaccinated to get the shot. "That's going to be a sales job, is it not? " the reporter asked Biden.

FLOTUS spread her arms out and said, "That's why I'm here."

Biden added she is just beginning to do these state visits to encourage vaccinations, and that she intends to do more. "We're going everywhere, believe me."

As your pool move back to our vans, we saw a small group of about 6 pro-Palestine protestors chanting into megaphones and waving the flag. We could not make out what exactly they were saying but we did hear "Palestine will never die" among the protest chants.

With that, and not a whole lot of news, we are rolling back to the airport for the two-hour flight back to JBA.

*Just want to note your pooler heard FLOTUS say to those at the site that she was not teaching her community college class this summer and is on summer break.

May 27, 2021
16:05

FLOTUS pool #8/ departing KC, shoe 'moment'

FLOTUS took pictures on the tarmac with the local police motorcycle officers who were on-hand for her visit today. As she went individually down the line, one of her heels (the pointy part) got stuck in a crack in the pavement. She tried briefly to pull it out as one of the officers lent her his hand, which she took. Ultimately, after a few humorous fashion moments that we can sometimes have when our stilettos get stuck, Biden's staff photographer bent to remove it.

On the tarmac, your pooler was also shown a Kansas City Royals light blue jersey with "Dr. Biden" on the back of it that she was gifted (though likely won't be worn by FLOTUS, a diehard Phillies fan.)

Pics to follow in report when we land, your pooler told to put away her laptop as we taxi.

At 2:50CT we are momentarily rolling down the runway for our 2-ish hour flight back to JBA.

May 27, 2021
18:30

FLOTUS pool #9/arrival JBA, pics

We touched back down at JBA at 6:03, rolling now to the White House after an uneventful flight (and early dinner of tomato soup and grilled cheese.)

Attached pls find my terrible screenshot off of Carolyn Kaster’s laptop of the shoe stuck moment, as well as my quick snap of Michael LaRosa holding up the aforementioned Royals jersey.

Jill Biden, First Lady Pool Reports of May 27, 2021 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/350114

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