Pool Reports of December 8, 2020

In-town pool report #1 - lunch lid

There is a lunch lid until 1:00 p.m.

It's been a quiet morning at the WH. Pooler was tested for Covid and is awaiting Trump remarks at 2:00 p.m. vaccine summit.

In-town pool report # 2

Pool gathered for the vaccine summit and was escorted over to EEOB at 1:48 p.m. The summit is in the South Court Auditorium.

Pooler expects attendee list from WH press office shortly. The summit is being livestreamed on www.whitehouse.gov/live and C-Span so check there for quickest quotes.

In-town pool report #3

South Court auditorium was about half full when pool arrived, with everyone wearing masks but lots of folks sitting next to each other or talking in close circles.

Some of the chairs have name cards on them. Pool passed HHS Secretary Azar in the foyer and looks like several public health officials are here like Brett Giroir.

On stage is a podium, small signing desk, and dark blue backdrop of American flag and Operation Warp Speed icons.

At the 2:00 p.m. mark, many attendees were still standing and talking m, then were directed to take their seats.

In-town pool report #4

At 2:04 p.m. VP Pence walked into auditorium to applause, then video started.

>From the White House:

Today, President Donald J. Trump will give remarks at the Operation Warp Speed Vaccine Summit, followed by remarks from Vice President Mike Pence, Dr. Moncef Sloui, General Gustave Perna, Adam Boehler, and Admiral Giroir.

The participants will highlight the unprecedented efforts of Operation Warp Speed, explain the Food and Drug Administration's vaccine evaluation process, and discuss the critical role that state and local jurisdictions will play in distributing and administering life-saving vaccines to the American public.

The following individuals are expected to attend:

The White House
President Donald J. Trump
Vice President Mike Pence
Jared Kushner, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor
Ambassador Robert O'Brien, Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor
Ambassador Deborah Birx, M.D., White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator

Trump Administration
Secretary Alex Azar, United States Department of Health and Human Services
Administrator Seema Verma, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Dr. Jerome Adams, Surgeon General of the United States
Admiral Brett Giroir, Assistant Secretary for Health
Dr. Robert Redfield, Director of the Centers for Disease Control
General Gustave Perna, Chief Operating Officer of Operation Warp Speed
Dr. Moncef Slaoui, Chief Advisor, Operation Warp Speed
Adam Boehler, Chief Executive Officer of the United States International Finance Corporation
Dr. Peter Marks, Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research
Paul Mango, Deputy Chief of Staff, United States Department of Health and Human Services

External Participants
Governor John Bel Edwards, Louisiana
Governor Bill Lee, Tennessee
Governor Greg Abbott, Texas
Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida
Jon Roberts, CVS Health, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Rick Gates, Walgreens, Senior Vice President for Health Care Strategy and Executive Lead for COVID-19 Vaccine Program
Wes Wheeler, UPS, CEO of Healthcare Logistics
Richard Smith, FedEx, Regional Vice President of the Americas and Executive Vice President
Shawn Seamans, McKesson, President of RxCrossroads and Executive Sponsor Enterprise COVID Vaccine Program
Marc Casper, Thermo Fisher, CEO of Thermo Fisher

In-town pool report #5

President Trump took the stage at 2:06 p.m. and started his remarks at the podium, thanking members of the audience and from his administration.

Trump said if authorized, tens of millions of doses of vaccine would be available this month. Decisions about who would get the vaccine first will be up to governors. Trump urged seniors and first responders, health care workers should be first.

Trump said the executive order he was about to sign would prioritize the vaccine for Americans before it is shipped abroad.

Trump was reading his speech and appeared to keep close to script—he stayed on the topic of the pandemic and the vaccine.

At 2:22 p.m. Trump sat at the small desk and signed the order, then handed the first pen to Pence and Azar who were standing behind him.

At 2:23 p.m. Trump went back to the podium and asked for questions. Pooler believes Steve Holland asked about his message to Americans now, over the holidays. Trump touted the U.S.'s testing program and new tests coming.

AP reporter Zeke Miller asked about White House Christmas parties, and Trump said attendees wear masks.

Trump also said we'd have to see what the next administration is, and hopefully it would be the Trump administration. Trump said he hoped either legislators or judges would find election fraud.

The event ended at 2:28 p.m. and Trump waved and walked off stage.

In-town pool report # 6 - correction

The first question asked at vaccine summit was by Jeff Mason, not Steve Holland. Pooler was trying to guess from across the room and regrets the error.
Pooler does not know the name of the reporter who asked the last question.

In-town pool report #7

The reporter who asked the last question at the vaccine event was NBC's Peter Alexander.

In-town pool report #8 - signing off

?The White House press office called a travel/photo lid at 8:10 p.m.After more than 11 years at the White House, this is your pooler's final report before retiring next week. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the finest journalists in America.

And that's the way it is.

Supplemental pool report #1 - vaccine summit continued

With POTUS having departed the auditorium, a supplemental pool is place for the remainder of the vaccine summit.

Parties interested in the proceedings should continue to tune in to the live feeds, but I'll keep an eye out for events off-camera, as well as any opportunities to ask questions.

Supplemental pool report #2 -- autographing a freezer

During a break shortly before 4 p.m., officials including HHS Secretary Alex Azar and Adm. Brett Giroir were seen using a Sharpie to autograph what appeared to be a small lab freezer that had been on the stage as one of the props during a discussion led by Giroir with officials from UPS, FedEx, ThermoFisher and McKesson.

The full list of participants is available in White House pool report #4 sent earlier by Cheryl Bolen.

Supplemental pool report #3 -- VP

?Vice President Pence entered the auditorium at 5:15 p.m. He is the last expected speaker at the vaccine summit.