Vice Presidential Pool Reports of February 2, 2024

VP Travel Pool #1- JBA Departure

Greetings from a cold and windy JBA, where Vice President Kamala Harris is preparing to head to South Carolina for the day.

She will be meeting with local leaders, and will headline a campaign event ahead of tomorrow's primary.

Marine 2 touched down at 12:05 p.m., and the VP boarded AF2 at 12:10 after stopping to engage with a retiring member of the Air Force and their family, including their two small children (who were either dancing nervously or to keep warm).

The VP visited the press cabin and chatted OTR for about 6 mins.

We are wheels up momentarily.

For your reference, the daily guidance from the VP's office.

DAILY GUIDANCE FOR THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2024
At 12:15 pm ET, the Vice President will depart Washington, DC en route to Columbia, SC. This departure from Joint Base Andrews will be pooled press.

At 1:40 pm ET, the Vice President will arrive at Columbia Metropolitan Airport. This arrival in Columbia, SC will be pooled press.

At 3:30 pm ET, the Vice President will convene local community and faith leaders for a conversation about the Administration's efforts to ensure all communities can live with dignity, safety, and respect and have access to opportunity. This event in Orangeburg, SC will be closed press.

At 5:00 pm ET, the Vice President will deliver remarks at a campaign event. These remarks in Orangeburg, SC will be pooled press and open to pre-credentialed media.

At 6:40 pm ET, the Vice President will depart Columbia, SC en route to Washington, DC. This departure from Columbia Metropolitan Airport will be pooled press.

At 7:55 pm ET, the Vice President will arrive at Joint Base Andrews. This arrival in Washington, DC will be pooled press.

VP Travel Pool #2--Arrival in SC

AF2 landed at Columbia Metropolitan Airport at 1:25 p.m. after a roughly one hour, uneventful flight.

There were no visitors to the press cabin during the flight.

Your pooler was informed that during the flight, the VP called in to the Clay Cane show on SiriusXM to pay tribute to Joe Madison, the legendary talk radio host and civil rights activist, who died this week.

She was on for about 5 mins, and it aired while we were in the air.

The VP deplaned at 1:38 p.m., and was greeted with a hug from SC Representative Jim Clyburn. She was all greeted by Michael C. Butler, the mayor of Orangeburg, SC.

Motorcade is rolling to Orangeburg, where the VP will meet with faith and community leaders.

It is a closed press event, but I will send anything noteworthy.

P.S. For anyone who received the unofficial version of pool report #1, and may be wondering— the VP did not drop her last name, as I inadvertently did in that version.

VP Travel Pool #3- Community leader meeting

The VP arrived at South Carolina State University at 2:24 p.m., where she is meeting with community and faith leaders.

Ride was uneventful. Some students waved as the motorcade pulled on campus.

We did not see her go in; a reminder the event is closed to the press.

Will pass along any readouts or attendee information I receive.

Pool is holding in an outdoor courtyard of the campus, set up for where it appears the VP will later give remarks at a campaign event.

Old and new school R&B music is playing, and a crowd is already gathering in cozy 69-degree weather, under sunny skies.

So far your pool has spotted members of the VPs sorority (AKAs) & the "Royal court" of South Carolina State ( a student explained that each grade has a king & queen).

VP Travel Pool #4-- VP campaign appearance/remarks

The VP took the stage at the "Get out the Vote Event" at South Carolina State University, an HBCU, at 4:46 p.m.

She walked out to the drumline beats of the South Carolina State University band. The VP was introduced by Karrington McClurkin, the reigning Miss South Carolina State, who called her a "fighter for our freedoms, a breaker of glass ceilings and our voice at the table when decisions are made."

The VP started by giving shout outs to DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison, who spoke during the program, and Jim Clyburn, who also spoke, and talking about the significance of South Carolina to the campaigns.

(There was a huge, blue banner hanging that said "First in the Nation," marking the significance of the first primary taking place here).

The VP credited SC for sending her and the president to White House in 2020.

She discussed how South Carolina informed big policy decisions, such as increasing access to high-speed internet in rural areas, including more than 100,000 families in South Carolina.

The VP touted the billions in student loan debt the administration has been able to cancel, and said the administration wouldn't be deterred by Republican opposition to canceling more. The VP how the administration "took on big pharma" and capped insulin costs.
"Over the last three years, President Biden and I have lowered cost, created opportunity and are building an economy that works for working people."

She then moved to Donald Trump.
"President Biden and I are guided by a fundamental belief: We work for you. The American people. And every day, we fight for you.
Sadly, however, that is not true for everyone .Case in point: Donald Trump. Former president Trump has made clear time and time again: His fight is not for The people. He fights for himself."

The biggest applause in the speech came when the VP discussed how the government should not be telling a woman what to do with their own body.

She told the crowd "We are counting on you," to vote and get others to vote tomorrow.

"We got you!" a member of the audience yelled back.

The VP wrapped her remarks at 5 p.m.

The motorcade was rolling back to the airport at 5:13 p.m.

VP Travel Pool #5-- Wheels up from South Carolina

The motorcade arrived back at Columbia Metropolitan Airport at 5:54 p.m.

The VP ascended the stairs to AF2, waved and boarded at 5:57 p.m.

We are expecting to get information on the meeting with faith and community leaders, which I'll send out when I receive!

Meantime, we are wheels up at 6:09 p.m.

VP Travel Pool #6- Wheels down/ Faith leader quotes

AF2 landed at JBA at 7:15 p.m.

The VP deplaned at 7:27 p.m. and Marine 2 was rolling at 7:31 p.m.

For those interested a formal readout of faith leader meeting, that will come from the VP's office later/separately!

But for now, here's a readout from one faith leader who spoke to your pooler afterward.

Rev. Nelson B. Rivers, a pastor from North Charleston who led the meeting, said the clergy members asked about issues like gun violence, prescription drug prices and student debt forgiveness. He said many clergy members, including him, knew people in their families or congregations who had debts forgiven.

"She didn't duck any questions," he said.

He said a lot of the conversation was about how to get the word out about what the administration had done, and what still needed to happen in a next term (continuing to lower prescription drug prices and working on gun violence were the big ones).

He said neither Gaza nor abortion came up.

"A lot of the questions were about the environment in America today, the social environment, the moral environment," he said.

He said many were excited to see her, and he left encouraged.

"A lot of the clergy didn't ever think they'd have the chance to meet the vice president," he said.

That's it from me tonight!