Vice Presidential Pool Reports of August 6, 2024

Good afternoon from JBA.

Vice President Kamala Harris is en route to Philadelphia for her first rally since announcing Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

Harris arrived on Marine Two and boarded Air Force Two at 2:40 with her husband Doug Emhoff.

Harris paused to answer a shouted question about why she chose Walz, seemingly to shout back that he will be "a great vice president."

Air Force Two took off from JBA at 2:55 and was wheels down in Philadelphia at 3:25.

VP Harris had a roughly 4-minute off-the-record conversation with reporters in the press cabin at JBA.

VP Harris disembarked AF2 at 3:38 with her husband Doug and got right into a waiting SUV. There were no greeters.

Harris gave a salute as she neared the base of AF2's stairs and seemed to ignore a shouted question about why she chose Walz as her running mate over Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania.

We seem to have arrived just before a storm with dark clouds and the sound of thunder in the distance.

The motorcade was rolling at 3:41.

The motorcade arrived at Temple University's Liacouras Center at 4:00.

The rally venue is a large indoor arena with a roughly 10,000-person capacity. The seats seem perhaps half full and filling up ahead of VP Harris' 530 speech.

Many members of the crowd have blinking wristbands that are alternating between red, white and blue.

Mayor Cherelle Parker passed our group as we arrived. She ignored questions about her Friday video that proclaimed Shapiro to be Harris' running mate and whether she regretted the tweeted clip.

On Background From A Harris-Walz Campaign Official:

Vice President Harris and Governor Walz are delivering remarks at a campaign event at the Liacouras Center at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Pre-Program:
DNC Chair Jaime Harrison
Rochelle Adjei, Field Pitch
Mayor Cherelle Parker, Philadelphia (D-PA)
DJ Diamond Kuts
Senator John Fetterman (D-PA)
Senator Bob Casey (D-PA)
Governor Josh Shapiro (D-PA)

Speakers:
Vice President Harris
Governor Walz

The Harris-Walz campaign shares the following:

Please find excerpts from Gov. Tim Walz's remarks below:

"I couldn't be prouder to be on this ticket, and to help make Kamala Harris the next President of the United States!

"From her first day as a prosecutor… as District Attorney… as Attorney General of California… as a U.S. Senator … and as Vice President, Vice President Harris has fought on the side of the American people.

"She took on predators and fraudsters, took down transnational gangs, stood up against powerful corporate interests, she's never hesitated to reach across the aisle if it meant improving people's lives. And - she brings joy to everything she does.

"I know something about that commitment to the people.

"I was born in West Point, Nebraska and lived in Butte, a small town of 400 where community was a way of life. Growing up, I spent summers working on the family farm. My mom and dad taught us to show generosity toward your neighbors and to work for the common good."

….

"Minnesota's strength comes from our values - our commitment to working together, to seeing past our differences, to lending a helping hand.

"These same values I learned on the family farm and tried to instill in my students, I took to Congress and the state capital, and now, Vice President Harris and I are running to take them to the White House!"

"Donald Trump - he sees the world differently. He doesn't know the first thing about service - because he's too busy serving himself."

Turn on your TVs or pull up your C-SPAN/YouTube feeds... VP Harris will be speaking soon.

I'll provide color but please rely on the live feeds for quotes.

Nearly every seat is taken here, suggesting roughly 10,000 attendees, and the crowd's cheers can be deafening. It's a remarkable change from two months ago, when a joint rally with Biden and Harris in Philly filled one-third of a school gym on May 29.

Ahead of Gov. Shapiro's introductory remarks, an unseen emcee led attendees in singing along to Ludacris' "Move B--ch"

"What we telling Trump?" the emcee asked as enthusiastic listeners sang back, "Move b--ch! Get out the way!"

VP Harris and Gov. Walz walked out at 5:57, following a break between their appearance and an introductory speech by Gov. Shapiro.

The pair entered the arena to Beyonce's "Freedom" and waved at the crowd to cheers before approaching the lectern.

Below are excerpts from the VP's prepared remarks:

"The promise of America is what makes it possible for two middle-class kids…"

"One, a daughter of Oakland, California, who was raised by a working mother…

"The other, a son of the Nebraska plains who grew up working on a farm -- only in this great country is it possible for them to make it all the way to the White House.

"Coach Walz and I may hail from different corners of this great country. But our values are the same.

"We both believe in lifting people up, not knocking them down.

"We both know that the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us.

"And we see in our fellow Americans neighbors, never enemies.

"My promise to you is this: our campaign will reach out to everyone.

"From red states to blue states.

"From the heartland to the coasts.

"We are running a campaign on behalf of All Americans.

"And if elected, we will govern on behalf of all Americans."

VP Harris spoke for about 32 minutes, delivering her standard policy and anti-Trump lines but devoting much of her speech to introducing Walz.

Harris highlighted Walz's past as a teacher and football coach. She hailed him for leading his team to its first statewide victory and sponsoring an LGBT student club. She said that as a House member he won annual bipartisan sharpshooter competitions and that as governor he signed legislation for free school meals, to increase gun background checks and to ensure abortion access.

"Lock him up!" the crowd chanted about Trump as Harris delivered her standard line on her own past as a prosecutor.

Harris said Walz taking on Trump running mate JD Vance was akin to a varsity team challenging the "JV squad."

Harris concluded saying both she and Walz believe in "lifting people up, not knocking them down" and vowing to rule "on behalf of all Americans."

Walz began his remarks at 6:30 and said to Harris, "thank you for bringing back the joy!"

He described his rural upbringing and service in the National Guard and time as a teacher. He said his students encouraged him to run for Congress in 2006.

"I was running in a district that had one Democrat since 1892," he said, adding that "I learned the art of compromise without compromising my values."

Walz said Trump "doesn't know the first thing about service... he's too busy serving himself."

In what was probably the best-received line of the night, Walz said that crime was up under Trump and that "that's not even counting the crimes he committed."

After loud cheers, the crowd again chanted, "Lock him up!"

He also earned loud applause on abortion when he said "mind your own damned business" and later spoke about how his daughter, Hope, was conceived with IVF.

Walz said Trump was playing "dumb" about Project 2025 and claimed he would nationally ban abortion and cut Social Security.

"I can't wait to debate the guy," Walz said of Vance, adding in a vulgar allusion to a phony online story, "If he's willing to get off the couch."

"These guys are creepy and yes just weird as hell," Walz said.

Walz concludes at 6:49.

Harris, Walz and their spouses are currently shaking hands with rallygoers on the venue floor.

VP Harris' motorcade was rolling at 7:37.

The destination is unclear.

The motorcade ended up making no stops en route to Philadelphia International Airport amid more stormy weather.

We arrived at Air Force Two at 7:57.

At 8:01, Harris, Walz and their spouses exited their vehicles and spoke for a moment on the tarmac. They then posed with a group of advance staffers.

Harris and Doug Emhoff boarded AF2 at 8:02

Walz responded to a shouted question about whether he was ready, replying, "Ready to win."

Air Force Two lifted off at 8:16 and landed at JBA at 8:42.

VP Harris disembarked at 8:57 and walked to Marine Two without approaching the press. The helicopter was airborne at 9:03.

Marine Two reached the Naval Observatory at 9:22, according to the VP's office. And we have a lid.