Pool Reports of December 16, 2021

In-Town Pool Report #1: Checking In

Good afternoon from the White House on an unusually warm winter day. Your pooler has been COVID tested and is awaiting the Medal of Honor ceremony at 1:30pm.

No changes to the schedule, which is below, as of now:

EST

9:30 AM THE PRESIDENT receives the President's Daily Brief
Closed Press

12:30 PM In-Town Pool Call Time

1:30 PM THE PRESIDENT awards the Medal of Honor to Sergeant First Class Alwyn C. Cashe, United States Army, Sergeant First Class Christopher A. Celiz, United States Army, and Master Sergeant Earl D. Plumlee, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry; THE FIRST LADY, THE VICE PRESIDENT, and THE SECOND GENTLEMAN also attend
East Room
In-House Pool and Pre-Credentialed Media (Gather 1:15 PM – Palm Room Doors) [RSVP hereby 8:00 AM]

3:00 PM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT meet with members of the White House COVID-19 Response Team on the latest developments related to the Omicron variant
Roosevelt Room
In-House Pool Spray at the Top (Gather 2:50 PM – Brady Press Briefing Room)

Briefing Schedule

3:15 PM Press Briefing by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Deputy National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi

In-Town Pool Report #2: Gathering

Pool is gathering, as instructed, a bit early for the Medal of Honor ceremony.

In-Town Pool Report #3: Gather pushed back

And just like that, the gather has been pushed back to the original 1:15 time for the Medal of Honor ceremony.

In-Town Pool Report #4: Gathering

Pool is officially gathering now (1:15pm) for the first event of the day, the Medal of Honor ceremony.

In-Town Pool Report #5: Event begins

Pool was ushered into the East Room at 1:54pm (the event, as I'm sure you've figured out, is a bit delayed). There are a number of people seated and masked, and a podium is set up for POTUS to speak. There's a framed Medal of Honor flag on the stage opposite the podium.

VP and the Second Gentleman entered at 2pm and shook some hands, and the audience stood up shortly afterwards.

FLOTUS entered the room at 2:05pm and POTUS entered shortly after at 2:07pm. The event began with a prayer and POTUS began speaking at 2:09pm.

The ceremony is being streamed live on the White House website, but I'll provide color as necessary.

Passing along from the WH:

In attendance for the Medal of Honor ceremony are the First Lady, the Vice President, and the Second Gentleman, approximately 120 invited guests, including friends and family of the recipients, U.S. Army Military Leadership, Members of Congress, 4 previous Medal of Honor recipients, and Members of the Administration, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

Delivering the invocation: Major General Thomas Solhjem, Chief of Chaplains, U.S. Army

Reading the citations for each Medal of Honor: Lieutenant Colonel William Kerrigan, U.S. Marine Corps Military Aide to the President

The Medal of Honor is being presented to the following for conspicuous gallantry:

Ms. Tamara Cashe on behalf of Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe
Shannon Celiz and Katherine Celiz on behalf of Sergeant First Class Christopher Celiz
Master Sergeant Earl Plumlee

Delivering the benediction: Major General Thomas Solhjem, Chief of Chaplains, U.S. Army

In-Town Pool Report #6: Event Concludes

POTUS detailed each Medal of Honor recipient's story, at times addressing the family members. He noted the high price military members and their family are willing to pay in service to their country.

POTUS began giving out the Medal of Honor awards at 2:23pm. Lieutenant Colonel William Kerrigan, U.S. Marine Corps Military Aide to the President, read out the citations for each, again detailing their stories.

Those accepting the award took the stage separately as the citations were being read out. The order was as follows:

Ms. Tamara Cashe, on behalf of Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe

Shannon Celiz and Katherine Celiz on behalf of Sergeant First Class Christopher Celiz

Master Sergeant Earl Plumlee

The citation readouts finished at 2:33pm, with POTUS putting the Medal of Honor around Plumlee's neck. There was a lengthy moment of silence, followed by applause.

The event concluded with another prayer. POTUS mingled with some members of the crowd very briefly (your pooler couldn't see who he was speaking with) and left the room at 2:36pm.

In-Town Pool Report #7: Briefing change

The press briefing will now start at 3:30pm. No updated on the COVID briefing pool spray (which was scheduled for 3pm).

In-Town Pool Report #8: COVID pool spray update

The COVID briefing pool spray will occur after the briefing.

In-Town Pool Report #10: Briefing ends, gathering

Briefing ended at 4:44pm. Your pooler believes the first row plus two others got questions into Karine.

Pool is now being ushered in for COVID pool spray.

In-Town Pool Report #11: Biden remarks

POTUS began speaking around 4:59pm and said he wouldn't be taking questions today from the press.

He said Omicron is not spreading as fast as it would have otherwise done because of the steps the country has taken. POTUS warned that for the unvaccinated, they're looking at "a winter of severe illness and death." He pushed boosters hard, saying vaccinated + boosters mean you're protected against severe illness and death. He noted Omicron is in the US and will spread.

Full quotes TK.

Pool was ushered out at 4:52

In-Town Pool Report 12: Transcript

Rough transcript below. As usual please check against official/video:

POTUS: "I'm not going to take questions today because I have a direct message to the American people, tomorrow the team is going on television and talking in more detail about what I'm going to be speaking to you about today. I want to send a direct question to the American people. Due to the steps we take taken, Omicron is not as spreading as fast as it would have otherwise done and that's happening in Europe. But it's here now and it's spreading and it's gonna increase. For unvaccinated: We are looking at a winter of severe illness and death … for themselves, their family and the hospital they'll soon overwhelm. But there's good news. If you're vaccinated, and you have your booster shot, you're protected from severe illness and death, period. Number two: booster shots work. Three: boosters are free, safe and convenient. About 16 million people have been boosted so go get your shot today. Go get boosted. You had your first two shots, if you haven't, go get your first shot. It's time because time — it's past time. And we're gonna protect our economic recovery, if we do we're gonna keep schools and businesses open if we do this, and I want to see everyone around enjoy that. I wanted to see them enjoy the fact that they're able to be in school the businesses are open and the holidays are coming. So get your booster shots. It's critically important and if you haven't, you haven't gotten a booster shot. Get your first shot. We're in a situation where 83% of American people got one shot 12 years and older. 400,000 shots per day now. 202 are fully vaccinated — 202 million are fully vaccinated. 57, excuse me, 572 — I want to read, I'm not sure I got the right number. The total number of Boosters is what? Nearly 57 million boosters 1 million a day. So but the whole point is Omicron is here, it's going to start to spread much more rapidly at the beginning of the year. And the only real protection is to get your shots. If you get one shot, you haven't gotten it yet that'll help. If you're at a point where you have everything including your booster, you're in really good shape. So move now, move now. Thank you all very much."

In-Town Pool Report #13: Attendees for COVID briefing

Passing along from the WH:

White House COVID-19 Response Team members meeting with the President and the Vice President:
Dr. Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Advisor and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Rohini Kosoglu, Deputy Assistant to the President and Domestic Policy Advisor to Vice President
Dr. Julie Ledgerwood, Deputy Director and Chief Medical Officer of the Dale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center (VRC)
Dr. John Mascola, Director of the Dale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center (VRC)
Natalie Quillian, Deputy Coordinator of the COVID-19 Response
Jeff Zients, Coordinator of the COVID-19 Response

In-Town Pool Report #14: Lid

Lid called at 5:12pm. Have a great evening.