Pool Reports of August 24, 2020

In-town pool report #1

Greetings from the White House where both the in-town and out-of-town pools have received tests for COVID-19.

According to today's schedule, the out-of-town travel pool will be taking the motorcade from here to Joint Base Andrews.

As your in-town pooler was arriving, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro was gaggling outside. C-SPAN has posted video:

https://www.c-span.org/video/?475057-101/peter-navarro-speaks-reporters

Topics included vaccines and convalescent plasma.

In-town pool report #2 — lid

As of 7:12 p.m., a travel photo lid has been called.

Out of town travel pool #1 — Gather for motorcade to JBA

Hi,
I'll be your travel pooler today. Both the out-of-town and in-town pools were tested for COVID-19 earlier today.

We're waiting for POTUS to enter the motorcade for the ride to Joint Base Andrews.

As the RNC kicks off in North Carolina, the president is set to fly to Charlotte and head to a town outside Asheville for a tour of the Farmers to Families Food Box program. I'll alert you if anything changes, since we'll be touching down near the convention host city.

POTUS remarks in Mills River, NC, will be live-streamed at 1:30 p.m.https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44f...

He's scheduled to depart from Greer, South Carolina, and arrive back at WH close to 5 p.m.

Out of town travel pool #2 — Rolling from WH

POTUS's motorcade is rolling from WH at 10:19 a.m. for trip to JBA

Pool briefly saw POTUS go by in the Beast

Out of town pool 3# — JBA arrival

POTUS's motorcade arrived at Joint Base Andrews at 10:41 a.m. after an uneventful ride.

POTUS, wearing a navy suit, did not stop to talk to the press before entering the larger AF1.
He waved before boarding.

Pool spotted Ivanka and Meadows

Wheels up for Charlotte shortly.

Out of town travel pool # 4— Charlotte arrival

AF1 arrived at Charlotte Douglas International Airport at 11:47 a.m. after an uneventful flight.

No visitors.

TVs were tuned to Fox News roll call, hurricanes and postmaster general during the flight.

POTUS emerged and waved in distance, waved to pool and got in Beast followed by Ivanka

Officials haven't offered guidance on next stop ( i.e. convention) but we are rolling instead of airlifting as planned

Out of town pool #5 Charlotte Greeters

Per WH

The President is met by:

Jim O'Neill
Republican Nominee for Attorney General of North Carolina

Col Joseph Stepp
145^th Airlift Wing Commander

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Out of town pool #6 - Convention arrival

Motorcade arrived at downtown convention venue at 12:27 pm after uneventful ride that took about 20 min

In red-carpeted ballroom, the Rhode Island delegate just mentioned calamari

Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota got sustained cheers

Flight arrival in earlier report was obviously a.m., not p.m., apologies

Out of town pool #7 - Convention photo

[APP Note: No additional text was included in this report.]

Out of town #8 Trump speaks

POTUS took stage at 12:36 pm
Cheers and throngs of people filled aisles to get a better phone photo
Cheers of "four more years:"

Check CSPAN or TV for more:
Trump:
"You want to really drive them crazy say 12 more years."

Says Democrats are being mischievous with mail in voting and post office:
"You can see them setting it up"

Says election is most important ever; says "success" brings people together

Out of town pool #9 Trump finishes remarks

Trump wrapped up at 1:29 pm after speaking almost an hour; Village People thundered

Many delegates at front row tables stood to watch remarks and clap and cheer; some sat in the back and listened or checked phones

"Success brings unity" was theme of remarks; claimed virus shutdowns are politically motivated by Dem governors, will prob open up NC on Nov 4

Says virus mostly affects elderly and first shutdown was good but no more shutdowns:
"Most of the country right now is doing very, very well"

Says there was no supplies when pandemic hit: "the cupboards were bare"
Boasts of fast vaccine development

Said he felt an obligation to stop in NC this week:
"I did that out of respect"

Notes Meadows is from NC

Mocks Biden for not going to Wisconsin

Complains about NC Gov Cooper attendance rules
Complains about cable coverage of roll call vs postmaster, says Fox talked too much as he watch on AF1

"We will not be taking the word God out of the pledge of allegiance"

chants of four more years:
"i love this state, I like this place!"

Offers lengthy remarks on mail-ballots

"We're gonna win this election"

On Dems:
"They have no enthusiasm for their candidate"

Compares it to base enthusiasm= for Bernie Sanders

Goes back to mail in ballots:
"What they're doing is using COVID to steal an election"

Says he will announce new list of potential Supreme Court justice picks in coming weeks; Says next president could have up to five picks

Says China bought a lot of corn
"China is very smart"

Says he basically knocked out Obamacare by zeroing out individual mandate penalty

Boasts of opportunity zones, criminal justice reform

Big cheers for saying America "will never be a socialist country"

Touts space revival:
"We'll be the first on Mars"

Mentions virus came from China:
"We're never going to forget what they did"

Out of town pool #10 - Rolling back to Charlotte airport

Motorcade is rolling at 1:48 pm from convention to Charlotte airport for airlift to Fletcher, NC

Got a few queries about what a heckler shouted during a Trump passage on Obama; unfortunately we were in back of room and I did not hear it; asked some co-poolers but they didn't either, apologies

Out of town pool #11 - airlift to Fletcher from Charlotte airport

Motorcade arrived at Charlotte airport at 2 pm after uneventful ride out of downtown and on closed, empty highways.

Only saw a fire crew and two guys at an office park look on with interest.

Did not see POTUS enter Marine One.

Pool following in ospreys to Fletcher

Out of town pool #12 Arrival at Fletcher landing zone

Pool landed at Fletcher at 2:35 pm after half hour flight over green valleys and hills and rivers.

There is a large crowd awaiting POTUS' arrival on Fletcher tarmac as Michael Jackson booms on loudspeakers

They are packed shoulder to shoulder and dont see many masks

Lots of Trump signs and red white and blue

Kayleigh McEnany got big cheer; "We live you Kayleigh!"

Out of town #13 Trump arrival at Fletcher, remarks on "lovefest" with NC, rolling to Mills River

POTUS emerged from Marine One at about 3 pm to cheers and " God Bless the USA" on PA

He gave fist bumps and walked in front of barriers clapping and pointing to crowd.

Ivanka, wearing white dress, joined and waved.

"Thank you very much; incredible" POTUS said

Standing with a mic, potus called it, enthusiastically, "some little gathering"

He talked about stock market booms and a comeback from the virus

Touted plasma EUA:

"We got the FDA to do it very quickly," Trump said.

Touted the wall; said other side wants to tear it down

"The economy's gonna come back"

touts delegate count from morning

"This is a real lovefest between North Carolina and Trump"

"Take care of yourselves"

Departs to Village People and we're rolling at 3:12 pm to Mills River for farmer to families tour

Photo of crowd waiting earlier:

Out of town pool #14 farmers to families

Sorry for delay, bad signal in warehouse.

Motorcade arrived at Farmers to Families a bit before 3:30 pm after throngs of supporters and a few detractors and Biden supporters lined road

Many Trump 2020 signs and Women for Trump
"Mr Trump Spewing Lies Spreads Covid"
"Nobody is above the the law"
"Warn USA about socialism"

Trump toured a large warehouse with conveyor belts and cardboard boxes of food.
"This is really an incredible program"

Leader of program said they deliver to Tenn and NC

Trump met with empoyees and said they were doing a ‘great job'

Arrangements made it hard to hear much as POTUS spoke to workers in front of peppers, eggplant, squash, other veggies and fruits and stacked-high boxes

POTUS seemed to say "what did you do with it" in ref to fact program delivers food to needy so it isn't wasted

One employee had a red "TRUMP" hat

Potus was joined by Sonny Perdue, Ivanka and Mark Meadows and his wife

Trump moved his hands a lot and workers were nodding and answering questions

Trump said he met some people who got boxes
"The people are so happy"

Out of town #15 - intros and Trumps takes stage

Introduced by Kirby Johnson, co-founder of the food mission, Trump took the stage outside in Mills River in front of a John Deere tractor and delivery truck at 3:57.

Crowd is standing on dirt and rock space with folding chairs; not much social distancing and only some masks.

A few whoops in crowd for Madison Cawthorn, local congressional candidate

Is live-streamed so will only send highlights or color

Out of town pool #16 — Trump wraps up Farmers to Families event

First off, an additional Trump quote from inside the plant from co-pooler Brian Bennett:
"It worked like a miracle. It worked out. It worked out. They had the food. People were hungry. Put them together and everybody is happy. It worked out."

Trump, food mission employees, Sonny Perdue and Ivanka Trump wrapped up remarks at 4:26 p.m., More Village People

Many in the crowd stood quietly and listened and then cheered or applauded at certain times, some of the older guests tended to sit.

Some of the biggest crowd feedback came from Trump's complaints about China and the virus, Democratic governors whose states aren't fully open and his push for football to resume:

(on China and stopping virus)
"We didn't deserve this," Trump said
"No" a woman in crowd said.
"They could have stopped this," Trump said.
"Yes!" the seemingly same woman said.

(governors
The crowd grumbled at mentions of Gov. Roy Cooper, who Trump accused of wanting to keep the state shut down
Also applauded when Trump said NC and Pa. should open fully and laughed when he said they'd open Nov. 4

"You gotta play football"
(crowd clapped and cheered)

Also good reception for Sonny Perdue, who said to Trump:
"You're a man with a business speed, not a government speed," Perdue said

Ivanka Trump also spoke, highlighting the success of farmers-to-food mission supported by Trump and she said she probably knew more about NC than her home state of NY

Out of town pool #17 — Rolling back to Fletcher landing zone

Motorcade is rolling from food mission back to Fletcher landing zone at 4:30 pm

Out of town pool #18 — Lifting off from Fletcher landing zone

Motorcade reached Fletcher landing zone at 4:45 pm after passing more crowds along road:

Signs:
"Trump 2020 No More Bullshit"
"Trump Stop Socialism 2020"
"Asheville Backs the Blue"

We're loading into ospreys again while Trump heads to Greer, SC by Marine One

Out of town pool #19 - Greer arrival, departure

Pool landed at Greer SC landing zone at 5:06 pm ahead of POTUS on Marine One about 10 minutes later.

Heading back to DC from here on AF1.

POTUS clapped from a distance for a packed crowd who cheered from behind barriers near the tarmac listening to Michael Jackson's "Beat it" and other tunes

He waved to press before boarding followed by Ivanka and Meadows

Wheels up for JBA shortly

Out of town pool #20 - JBA arrival, senior official gaggle

AF1 arrived at JBA at 6:30 pm

POTUS waved from the steps and entered the Beast. We're rolling to WH from base

Senior administration official came back for short gaggle:

Newsiest thing is AG Barr is looking into police shooting in Wisconsin

"Were still investigating and trying to determine what happened"

A top official will speak to AG tonight and brief president

* On Convention week, president will highlight personal interactions with voters, his connection with Americans

"I think you'll see a lot more of the personal side from the people who know him best"

* Trump didn't meet with needy food recipients in NC bc you can only fit so much into the day; the president has met them before, however, official said
* Says Pence is a loyal, valuable messenger across country; "I wouldn't pigeonhole him just in a kind of Midwest box"
* On getting FDA to speed up plasma EUA; "It really had to do with the trials and the data that was collected from Mayo over and over"
* Official said two tests for WH were: Plasma recipient wouldnt die and it would likely benefit the person
* On rest of campaign schedule; Busy. Busy. Busy"

* Health care workers, teachers, nursery workers and frontline workers will likely get vaccine first

Out of town pool #21 — Arrival at WH

Motorcade arrived at the WH at after an uneventful trip from JBA.Did not see POTUS enter WH

I'm handing it off to the in-town pool. Special thanks to co-poolers Brian Bennett and Franco Ordonez for their assistance.