Pool Reports of October 31, 2021

Travel pool #1 - motorcade rolling

Good morning from Rome.

POTUS motorcade departed the U.S. Ambassador Residence, the Villa Taverna, at 9:42 am local time.

Pool caught a brief glimpse of POTUS in the back of The Beast as it rolled by.

First item on POTUS' schedule today is a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Pool has been COVID tested and swept. We are rolling to La Nuvola, where day two of the G20 summit is taking place.

Travel pool #2 - La Nuvola arrival

Motorcade arrived at La Nuvola at 10:03 am.

Ride was uneventful with many spectators along the route filming with their mobile phones. Drive was lovely with motorcade passing the backside of the Forum, Trajan's Column and the famous Victor Emmanuel II National Monument with the chariots on top of it. There was a brief glimpse of the Colosseum.

Travel pool #3 - Biden and Erdogan

President Biden and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stood in front of an American and Turkish flag ahead of their bilat.

Reuters Jeff Mason asked if POTUS was planning to give F16s to Turkey.

"We're planning to have a good conversation," POTUS replied.

He did not respond to a question on human rights and if Turkey is too close to Russia.

"Thank you," POTUS said.

He and Erdogan went into the bilat. Pool is holding.

Travel pool #4 - Erdogan meeting over

From the White House:

The meeting with His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, President of the Republic of Turkey, ended at 11:17 AM

Travel pool #5 - SAO on Erdogan meeting

A senior administration official stopped by the pool hold to discuss President Biden's meeting with President Erdogan. Here is a transcript of the officials remarks and short Q&A:

Opening remarks: "The President and President Erdogan had a very constructive conversation. The President made clear his desire to have constructive relations with Turkey and to find an effective way to manage our disagreements. They discussed the full range of foreign policy topics: Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Eastern Med, South Caucuses - also touched on climate. They did talk about the F16s with the President making very clear that there was a process underway that we had to go through. And the President also raised human rights issues, saying that this is a set of issues democracy, rule of law, human rights that are important to him. And that those are issues that he and his administration will continue to raise."

Asked if POTUS was supportive of giving F16s to Turkey and if President Erdogan asked for them: "I mean, I think the Turkish Government and Erdogan including in his public comments in the last couple of weeks have been very clear that there is a desire by Turkey to purchase the F16s. And the President took on board his desire to have them but made very clear that there is a process that we have to go through in the U.S. and committed to continuing to work through that process."

Did Erdogan ask for the money back that Turkey already paid for the F35s: "I mean, I think you saw this week I believe there was a team from the Defense Department that was out in Turkey to begin to work with them on the F35 issue. So that process on the F35 is underway."

Asked for more specifics on the human rights issues, particularly what POTUS raised and Erdogan's response: "The president in general set out his commitment to human rights, to rule of law and all of those issues and acknowledged that those are something that he cares about. And those are issues that he is going to continue to raise and that his administration is going to continue to raise."

Asked if POTUS was specific with Erdogan about what he was doing and what he needed to change: "I'm not going to get into all of the details of what they talked about. But it was an issue that the President raised, expressed his continued commitment and focus on all of these issues, and also his continued intention to continue raising them."

Asked again if POTUS raised concerns about what's going on in Turkey with human rights: "I'm not going to go further than that in characterizing the discussion."

Asked if regional issues came up – specifically Afghanistan and Syria: "I'm trying to remember. I mean, it was a broad conversation on a range of things. Obviously, our joint efforts in the past in Afghanistan, our continued desire to continue cooperating in Afghanistan, particularly in terms of ensuring that we're getting humanitarian assistance to the people in need. And in Syria, the continued effort to work on the political process and continued focus on the refugee situation there as well."

Did the PNG situation come and anything more specific on the S400s: "I think obviously the S400 is an issue that continues to be a concern for Congress and continues to be a factor in all of these broader issues as part of our defense relationship."

And did PNG come up: "Not going to get into specifics on that. But again, it was part of the broader conversation on the importance of human rights and rule of law issues."

Asked about saying S400s are an issue for Congress: "I mean, the President and the administration have long been clear that the S400s are a problem."

Travel pool #6 - POTUS and van der Leyen to speak on steel deal

On background from a senior administration official:

President Biden "will appear briefly" with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen to make remarks on the U.S.-EU steel and aluminum deal.

Timing TBD this afternoon.

Travel pool #7 - 2 min warning

Two minute warning to President Biden came out with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen

Airing live at https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

Travel pool #8 - Biden and von der Leyden remarks

President Biden came out with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen at 1:17 pm. They stood at a podium with U.S. and EU flags behind them.

They left at 1:26 pm. POTUS chucked as he left to a shouted question on what took so long (meaning the deal).

POTUS started off by saying he won't be taking questions: "As you know, I'll be holding a press conference later today when I look forward to taking your questions" adding that he's headed back to meetings downstairs. "I won't be able to take your questions."

On deal: "Together, the United States, the European Union, are ushering in a new era of transAtlantic cooperation that's going to benefit all of our people, both now and I believe in the years to come."

More: "Here's what this deal does. It immediately removes tariffs on the European Union on a range of US products and lowers cost to American consumers and ensure a strong and competitive US steel industry for decades to come and creates good paying union jobs at home and, and demonstrates how by harnessing our diplomatic and economic power, we can reject the false idea that we can't grow our economy and support American workers while tackling the climate crisis. We can do all three of those things."

More: "These arrangements will one lift up U.S. aluminum and steel, which is among the greatest steel in the world - that is somewhat prejudice on my behalf - incentivize emission reductions in one of the most carbon intensive sectors of the global economy; restrict access to our markets for dirty steel from countries like China, and counter countries that dumped steel in our markets, hammering our workers."

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen: "This marks a milestone in the renewed EU us partnership."

More: "And now we have found a solution on EU US steel and aluminum trade. I thank you, Mr. President, Joe, for your announcement that the United States will remove or remove us tariffs on US steel and aluminum up to previous trade levels. This will alleviate a major part of the existing trade irritants."

More: "I am pleased to announce that the Commission will also proposed to suspend the tariffs that we had introduced. I'm also pleased to join President Biden in announcing the pausing of our dispute on this issue in the World Trade Organization. … This is a major step forward in our renewed relationship and many thanks for that looking forward to working more on this year."

As always please check against transcript.

Travel pool #9 - supply chain meeting

Pool was brought into supply chain meeting at 5:26 pm.

POTUS was seated at center of table with Sec/State Blinken to his left. Other world leaders along the table.

"Thank you all for joining us," POTUS said.

"Supply chain is something that most of our citizens never think twice about …During this pandemic, we've seen delays and backlogs of goods or automobiles or electronics."

He said the leaders were there to talk about taking action "to reduce the backlog that we're facing."

He announced additional funding to help American partners as well as the United States to slash congestion and red tape.

And he announced he was signing an executive order on the defense stockpile that will "allow us to react respond more quickly to shortfalls."

"We cannot go back to business as usual" after seeing how pandemic interrupted to supply chain.

"Coordination is key."

"We need to work together."

When POTUS started to talk the mic wasn't on. Blinken turned it in for him.

As always please check against transcript. Pool was pulled after POTUS remarks.

Participants according to White House:

In attendance for the President's event on global supply chain resilience:

H.E. Mario Draghi, Prime Minister of the Italian Republic
H.E. Marcelo Ebrard, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico
H.E. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore
H.E. Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea
The Right Honorable Boris Johnson, M.P., Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
H.E. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany
H.E. Charles Michel, President of the European Council
H.E. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of the Republic of India
T.H. Scott Morrison MP, Prime Minister of Australia
H.E. Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands
H.E. Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain
Mr. Hiroshi Suzuki, G20 Sherpa for Japan
The Right Honorable Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P., Prime Minister of Canada
H.E Felix Tshisekedi, President of Democratic Republic of the Congo
H.E. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Union Commission
H.E. Joko Widodo, President of the Republic of Indonesia

Travel pool #10 - POTUS meeting with Singapore PM

From the White House:

The President's meeting with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore began at 3:21 PM and ended at 4:24 PM.

Travel pool #11 - 2 min warning to POTUS presser

We have a two minute warning to POTUS presser.

It's taking place in an auditorium at La Nuvola. There is a podium set up with an America and Italian flag paired up on each side.

Secretary of State Tony Blinken, senior adviser Mike Donilon, and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan are here, seated in front row on left side of auditorium.

It is airing on White House Live https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

Pooler will not send quotes but will pass along any color.

Travel pool #12 - presser over

President Biden's press conference wrapped at 8:50 pm. It lasted 26 minutes.

At the end NBC's Peter Alexander asked POTUS, as he departed the stage, to give a thumbs up if he had commitments from Sens. Manchin and Sinema. POTUS waved as he walked through the stage door but it's unclear if his thumb was up.

Pool is back in the motorcade.

Travel pool #13 - motorcade rolling

At 8:59 pm the motorcade is rolling. Pool did not lay eyes on POTUS getting into the motorcade.

Travel pool #14 - return to ambassador's residence and lid

Motorcade arrived at the ambassador's residence at 9:19 pm after an uneventful ride.

At 9:22 pm we have a travel photo lid.

Thanks to co-pooler Aurelia End of AFP for all her help today and thanks to colleagues in the wires, TV and radio seats for their help with POTUS quotes.

Caio!

Travel pool report #15 - clarification on thumbs up

From Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre:

As the President said during the press conference, he is confident we are going to get this done and the thumbs up was simply a visual restatement of that.

Additionally from White House:

On a separate note, apologies for a correction from an earlier note— H.E Felix Tshisekedi did not attend today's event on global supply chain resilience.

Travel pool report #16 - Psaki tests positive for COVID

From Press Secretary Jen Psaki:

On Wednesday, in coordination with senior leadership at the White House and the medical team, I made the decision not to travel on the foreign trip with the President due to a family emergency, which was members of my household testing positive for COVID-19. Since then, I have quarantined and tested negative (via PCR) for COVID on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. However, today, I tested positive for COVID. While I have not had close contact in person with the President or senior members of the White House staff since Wednesday – and tested negative for four days after that last contact -- I am disclosing today's positive test out of an abundance of transparency. I last saw the President on Tuesday, when we sat outside more than six-feet apart, and wore masks.

Thanks to the vaccine, I have only experienced mild symptoms which has enabled me to continue working from home. I will plan to return to work in person at the conclusion of the ten day quarantine following a negative rapid test, which is an additional White House requirement, beyond CDC guidance, taken out of an abundance of caution.