Travel Pool Reports of May 3, 2021

WH travel pool report 1

Good morning from an overcast and about to get rained on again Joint Base Andrews.

The president and first lady are traveling to southern Virginia for several education related events pertaining to his jobs plan.

The first is a visit to an elementary school in Yorktown.

We are flying on the larger version of AF 1, the modified Boeing 747, tail number 28000.

Per the WH press office (also see attached background memo)

Upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews, the President and the First Lady will be greeted by:

• Colonel Kimberly Welter, Vice Commander, 89th Airlift Wing, Joint Base Andrews
• Master Sergeant Jordan Kowalski

The President and the First Lady are traveling with:

• Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
• Anthony Bernal, Assistant to the President & Advisor to the First Lady
• Vinay Reddy, Deputy Assistant to the President & Director of Speechwriting
• Ryan Montoya, Deputy Assistant to the President & Director of Scheduling & Advance
• Daleep Singh, Deputy Assistant to the President & Deputy National Security Advisor/Deputy NEC Director
• Elizabeth Alexander, Deputy Assistant to the President & Communications Director for the First Lady
• Mala Adiga, Deputy Assistant to the President & Director of Policy & Projects for the First Lady
• Andrew Bates, Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Press Secretary
• Ashley Williams, Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations
• Stephen Goepfert, Special Assistant to the President & Personal Aide to the President

WH travel pool report 2 — departure

Marine 1 set down at 0909 on the Andrews tarmac and rolled to a stop a couple of hundred feet ahead of the plane.

President Biden and the first lady stepped off and walked to the forward staircase. He waved to the pool but did not stop to take questions.

He and Jill Biden climbed up and aboard at 0914.

We should be airborne momentarily.

WH travel pool 3 — Newport News arrival

Air Force 1 touched down at Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport at 0951 after a brief 29-minute flight.

Dep. Press Sec Andrew Bates visited with pool off the record for a few minutes. He was the only emissary from the front of the aircraft.

The president and first lady came down the stairs at 1004 and climbed into the waiting limo three minutes later after elbow-bumping and chatting briefly with Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and his wife, Pamela Northam.

(Per the WH press office: Upon arrival at Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, the President and the First Lady will be greeted planeside by Governor Ralph Northam and First Lady Pamela Northam.)

At 1009 the motorcade is rolling toward Yorktown.

WH travel pool report— school arrival

The motorcade arrived at Yorktown Elementary School at 1027 following the 18-minute drive from the airport along the entirely closed off (both directions) I-64 and subsequent surface roads, a good part of it through forest land.

Clumps of onlookers grew more numerous as we entered Yorktown itself. They appeared to be primarily supporters, although there was one gentleman waving a Confederate flag who presumably was not a Biden fan.

The president and first lady got out of the limo in a covered tent and were not visible to pool when he got out of the vans.

The pool is now holding in the cafetorium to await the Bidens’ visit with a 5th grade class.

WH travel report 5 — classroom color

Pool was led into a classroom, where 18 students sat at desks protected on three sides by a plexiglass shield.

On the whiteboard at the front was written in heavy black marker: "Welcome President Biden and Dr. Biden."

Mrs B's (Beetamini) class was designing a structure for her to survive a storm were she to be shipwrecked. (Some students, less optimistic, planned out a gravesite for her in their assignments).

The wall at the front is a very bright green. The rest are white. Linoleum floor. Drop ceiling.

School is four days a week. Wednesdays are for cleaning.

Still holding on the Bidens.

WH travel pool report 5a — spelling correction

Teacher's name is Mrs. Bertamini.

Some signs in classroom:

"A kind word is never wasted"

"I am here to discover what I can do."

"I need time to be with myself."

WH travel pool report 6

The president and Jill Biden entered the classroom at 1058.

They stood at the front of the classroom and listened to the class project, then went back to

One student, among the more pessimistic ones, explained her project, which included a way to catch fish from the flood.

"In case I fail, I'm going to bury my teacher right here."

Jill Biden: "I think your teacher can handle it."

Joe Biden: "that's pretty cool."

POTUS asking around the room what students want to be when they grow up. A fashion designer, a chef, a hair stylist.

"I could use that. Hair I mean." (Pls check video for quote)

POTUS asks: "How did you like doing this from home."

Some positive responses (ability to have snacks whenever) outnumbered by negative aspects.

Pool led out at 1105 and back to hold.

WH travel pool report 7 —

At 1111 the Bidens left the classroom and were led out the hallway. Pool was hustled back into the vans.

At 1116 we started en route back to the airport for the helicopter trip to Chesapeake, but then stopped so the Bidens could stop in front of York High School, where they greeted a group of students and staff, including a group of Navy ROTC. POTUS posed for a photo with a small child. Details to come on that.

At 1123 the motorcade was moving again.

WH travel pool report 8 - airport arrival

The motorcade returned to Newport News/Williamsburg International at 1140 , where the president and first lady boarded Marine 1 for the flight to Hampton Roads Executive Airport.

Pool and staff loaded onto three V-22 Osprey tilt-rotors for the trip.

We are aloft at 1147.

WH travel pool report 5b — Yorktown school info

Apologies: missed this earlier:

Upon arrival at Yorktown Elementary School, the President and the First Lady will be greeted by:

• Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) and her daughter, Violette
• Kelly Denny, Principal, Yorktown Elementary School
• Dr. Victor Shandor, Superintendent, York County School Division
• Dr. Jim Carroll, Chief Operations Officer, York County School Division
• Candi Skinner, Chief Academic Officer, York County School Division
• Cheryl Parr, Associate Director of School Administration, York County School Division

WH travel pool report 9 — arrival in Hampton Roads

The Ospreys set down on the opposite side of the James River harbor at 1155. Pool boarded vans for the drive across the small airfield to where Marine 1 had landed and the head of the motorcade had formed up.

(Per the WH press office: Upon arrival at Hampton Roads Executive Airport, the President and the First Lady will be greeted by:

• Senator Tim Kaine (VA)
• Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03))

At 1212 we are rolling toward our next stop, Tidewater Community College.

WH travel report 10 — Tidewater Community College

The president's motorcade arrived at 1220 at Tidewater Community College, Portsmouth campus.

Earlier guidance incorrectly stated it would be the Chesapeake campus

Pool again was out of the vans after the president and first lady were already in the building.

We are now holding in the classroom of Harlan "Skip" Krepcik, who teaches about HVAC systems.

WH travel pool report 11 — classroom color

We are waiting in a shop-type classroom. On the whiteboard at the front is the info for the class:

Program: HVAC/R

Course: AIR-111

Electricity/Controls 1

There are some equations on the board. I=E/Rt

CFM=Q/1.08x degrees F

Work stations with test equipment and power buses.

A big blue tub filled with sections of copper tubing.

A few WH placards "Getting America BACK ON TRACK" placed strategically around the room.

Concrete floor painted a dark gray; industrial, unfinished ceiling.

Still holding.

WH travel report 12 — tidewater community college classroom visit

The president and first lady entered the room at 1243. They greeted the instructor, Harlan Krepcik, who said:

"We wanted to show off what we do here."

He explained that the students take much of their coursework remotely, but come into the class to do their lab work.

He demonstrated an instrument they use to learn about the electrical controls of HVAC system.

Krepcik: "When they come into on campus, we just do the labs here.

Body of human knowledge is doubling now every 12 hours

We've taken that knowledge and building it into control systems and making it more efficient."

The Bidens listened to the mini-lecture, Jill Biden in front, the president behind her.

POTUS: "How quickly knowledge is coming you're going to see more advancement in 10 years."

The first couple spoke with some students, but it difficult to make out over the ambient noise.

At 1251 the pool was led a few doors down to another workshop classroom, where the president is to to give remarks.

The Bidens entered the room at 1301 and Jill Biden began speaking a minute later.

Those remarks will be carried live at the WH web site.

WH travel pool report 12a — background on TCC

Per WH press office:

Upon arrival at Tidewater Community College, the President and the First Lady will be greeted by:

• Dr. Marcia Conston, President, Tidewater Community College
• Cynthia "Cindy" S. Free, Board Chair, Tidewater Community College
• Lynn B. Clements, Board Vice Chair, Tidewater Community College

The President also participated in a photo line with:

• Attorney General Mark Herring
• Mayor Shannon E. Glover, Portsmouth, VA
• Mayor Kenneth "Kenny" Cooper Alexander, Norfolk, VA
• State Senator Mamie Locke, Hampton, VA
• State Senator L. Louise Lucas, Portsmouth, VA
• State Delegate Nancy Guy, Virginia Beach, VA
• State Delegate Alex Askew, Virginia Beach, VA
• State Delegate Kelly Convirs-Fowler, Virginia Beach, VA
• State Delegate Jeion Ward, Hampton, VA; President, Hampton Federation of Teachers
• Dr. James Fedderman, President, Virginia Education Association
• Gordon Jones, President, Portsmouth Education Association
• Jason Parker, President, Virginia State Building & Construction Trades Council
• Kris Begolly, Business Manager, UA Local 110

WH travel pool report 14 — Biden finishes

The president finished his speech at 1328, hitting familiar topics of his desire for free community college and pre-school, increased child tax credits and other features of his jobs plan and families plan.

He also pushed his plan to increase tax rates on the wealthiest back to where they were to pay for the college plan.

"Is it more important to shield millionaires from paying their fair share?"

"Folks, for too long we've seen that trickle down economics does not work."

Some color from the room:

This is another workshop type lab classroom. Same decor as the last. A row of miniature HVAC systems arranged in the back, serving as a backdrop for his speech.

The teleprompter was set up just below the head-on camera. Community college officials, Sen Tim Kaine, Pamela Northam and others in a small, socially distanced audience.

Per the WH press office:

The President will be introduced by Jaidan Williams, a student at Tidewater Community College.

In attendance for the President's and the First Lady's remarks:

• Dr. Marcia Conston, President, Tidewater Community College
• Cynthia "Cindy" S. Free, Board Chair, Tidewater Community College
• Lynn B. Clements, Board Vice Chair, Tidewater Community College
• First Lady Pamela Northam
• Senator Tim Kaine (VA)
• Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) and her daughter, Violette
• Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03)

?

HVAC demonstration participants:

• Sebastiano Anile, Student, Tidewater Community College
• Steven Cerroni, Student, Tidewater Community College
• Joshua Johnson, Student, Tidewater Community College
• Harlan "Skip" Krepcik, Associate Professor of HVAC/R and Program Lead, Tidewater Community College

WH travel pool report 15 — end of summer will look very different from now

Biden was asked when herd immunity would be reached. More detailed quote coming, but he answered that the situation at the end of the summer would look "very different" from what it does now.

He said there is some debate about whether herd immunity means 70 or 90 percent, but he urged all Americans to "get vaccinated now."

Pool was hustled back out to vans for the trip back to the airfield where the helicopters await.

Motorcade should be moving shortly.

WH travel pool report 16 — more complete Biden herd immunity quotes

"I think by the end of the summer we'll be in a very different position then we are now."

He pointed out how many people who initially said they wouldn't want to be vaccinated ended up getting the vaccine, including the vast majority of people over 65.

"Right now people over 65 years of age over 80% have been [half] vaccinated, and 66% fully vaccinated. And there's virtually no difference between white, Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans. Because what we've done, there were some criticisms, is we've expanded access to vaccinations...community health centers. Mobile units going out. It's getting better and better and better."

"When I got elected I said within the first 100 days we'd get 100 million people vaccinated. I was wrong, we got 200 million people vaccinated."

"There's a debate about what constitutes herd immunity, is it 70%, 68%, 81%? The point is right now every single person 16 years or older doesn't have to wait in line. Just show up and get a vaccination now. I plead with everyone get vaccinated now, please. Thank you."

Huge thanks to co-pooler Laura Barron-Lopez.

WH travel pool report 17 — motorcade rolling

The motorcade is en route to the Hampton Roads executive airport at 1351.

WH travel pool report 18 — helicoptering to Norfolk

Motorcade returned to Hampton Roads airport at 1400.

The president and first lady boarded Marine 1 while the pool and staff loaded back onto the Ospreys.

At 1411 we are in the air.

WH travel pool report 19 — back on AF1, heading home

The pool’s Marine Corps Osprey touched down at Norfolk International Airport at 1418.

Marine 1 landed five minutes later and taxied to a position about 100 yards ahead of where AF1 had been parked following its ferry flight from Newport News.

The president and first lady climbed out of the helicopter and, with a wave to the pool assembled ahead of the port wing, got back aboard the plane at 1429 and the pool did the same thereafter.

We should be taking off and heading back to Washington shortly.