Pool Reports of November 13, 2020

pool report #1/all quiet

Good morning from the White House. It's sunny and a comfortable mid-50s.

Pool has had its Covid-19 nasal swabs and no one has been ejected. So far so good.

The only item on President Trump's press schedule is the noon update on Operation Warp Speed in the Oval Office, also on Vice President Pence's schedule. That remains "closed press."

A crew is digging a trench outside the briefing room, on the lawn between the driveway and the sidewalk. And as noted previously, there's lots of fencing around Lafayette Square Park.

pool report #2/lunch lid

Lunch lid until 2:30 p.m.

A Marine Guard was posted outside the West Wing shortly after noon, when the Operation Warp Speed briefing was scheduled in the Oval Office with President Trump and Vice President Pence. That meeting was closed press.

The Marine is no longer there.

pool report #3/flagging 4pm Rose Garden appearance added

4:00PM                    THE PRESIDENT delivers an update on Operation Warp Speed

Rose Garden

Expanded In-House Pool

And it is a lovely afternoon for it.

pool report #4/gathered for Rose Garden

?The expanded pool is gathered at the Palm Room doors for President Trump's appearance shortly in the Rose Garden, which the White House says will focus on Operation Warp Speed, the effort to develop a vaccine and treatments for Covid-19. The event will be livestreamed by the White House.

Be assured that poolers are aware that final race calls were made this afternoon -- Georgia for Biden, NC for Trump – putting the electoral tally at 306-232, same as in 2016, when the president prevailed.

Pool is also aware of presidential tweets this afternoon, and will seek clarification on how "this election was Rigged, from Dominion all the way up & down!" while it is also "true, except for what the Democrats did" that 2020 was "the most secure election ever" thanks to this administration.

The sky is clear blue. The temperature is 61 degrees. A tall crane hovers over the inaugural viewing stand under construction on Pennsylvania Avenue. The trench those workers were digging earlier next to the sidewalk has now been filled and sodded.

pool report #5/Rose Garden

?Adm. Brett Giroir was seated at 4:04, in dress uniform and mask.

The press is seated in with plenty of spacing in folding chairs. Only six VIP chairs are set in front. So far the others are empty.

Two flags hang behind the presidential lectern, with four more on stands in front of the Cabinet Room. A smaller lectern is set stage right of the one with the presidential seal, and a TV screen shows "President Donald J. Trump Operation Warp Speed" with a US flag below it as we await the start of this event.

Although the sky is cloudless, there's no direct sunshine in the Rose Garden at this hour and it's a bit chilly as TV reporters do standups.

pool report #5a/delay for Rose Garden

The president tweeted at 4:07: "Will be having a press conference from the Rose Garden in 15 minutes."

No indication if that means an actual press conference, with Q&A.

Adm. Brett Giroir seemed to have heard poolers discussing the 15 minute delay. He has remained in his seat. A number of people are in the Oval Office but it's not possible to tell who, other than Vice President Pence, who was standing near the door and finally turned to face the Rose Garden.

President Trump stood up from his desk a moment ago.

pool report #6/Rose Garden remarks

?President Trump emerged alone from the Oval Officeabout 4:25 pm and stepped down a red carpet to his lectern. He noted the lovely weather this time of year and has begun speaking.

"Operation Warp Speed is unequaled and unrivaled....It's been an incredible effort."

With a different administration "what we've done would have taken, in my opinion, three, four or five years."

"Case levels are high, but a lot of the case levels are high because we have ... we test far more than any other country."

Vice President Pence and HHS Secretary Alex Azar are on the center aisle. To Pence's right are Dr. Deborah Birx and Adm. Brett Giroir.

Says the vaccine won't be delivered to New York until Gov. Cuomo offers assurances "that they'll actually use it." "We can't be delivering it to a state that won't be giving it to its people immediately."

more tk

pool report #7/Rose Garden remarks continued

?President Trump, discussing pandemic, alludes to the possibility he might lose the presidency.

"Ideally we won't go to a lockdown. I will not go -- this administration will not be going to a lockdown. Hopefully the, the -- whatever happens in the future, who knows which administration will be. I guess time will tell, But I can tell you this administration will not go to a lockdown."

Dr. Moncef Slaoui, vaccine expert, spoke after the president, discussing progress on vaccine and therapeutics, followed by Gen. Gustave Perna, commander of Army Materiel Command, who talked about support for manufacture and distribution. They bumped elbows as Perna stepped up and Slaoui returned to his seat. The general removed his mask and spoke barefaced, like the president. He put the mask back on when he got back to his seat.

"We expect to have 10s of millions of doses" within 24 hours of an emergency use authorization from the FDA, Perna said.

Both were seated to the left of Secretary Alex Azar. He spoke after them, also taking off his mask to speak.

The sun is going down

more tk

pool report #8/Rose Garden event ends without questions or answers

The president abruptly ended the enven at 4:58 p.m. without taking questions, as soon as Vice PResident Pence was done speaking.He ignored shouted questions about when and if he will concede the election.

Pence followed him into the Oval.

Pence sang the praises of the president and the researchers for the rapid development of one and perhaps two vaccines that"It is an unprecedented medical mobilization." The White House Coronavirus Task Force will meet with governors on Monday, he said, and reviewing state plans for distribution.

Flocks of birds flew over the EEOB and White House grounds at the 30-minute mark on this Rose Garden event. It only ran another 3 minutes or so.

I got an inquiry about the president's hair. Specifically, is he going gray. From 20 feet away, it appears light blond but I can see where it might appear gray in the right light on TV. It's certainly not white like the VP's.

The president has stood at his lectern listening patiently and surveying the scene as others spoke.

Pool report #9/lid

A lid was declared at 6 pm.

Have a great weekend.