Vice Presidential Pool Reports of July 2, 2022

VP Supplemental Pool #18: checking in from LA

Hello from Los Angeles, where it is sunny and 63 degrees F. 

Your pooler is currently holding, has been tested and swept. Your pooler is awaiting to depart from VPOTUS' Brentwood residence for LAX via motorcade. Per a White House guidance from yesterday, Harris will depart Los Angeles, California en route to New Orleans, Louisiana at 9:10am PDT.

I am the only press traveling with VPOTUS on AF2, but more are expected to join in New Orleans. 

She is expected to attend the 28th ESSENCE Festival of Culture at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center and participate in a fireside conversation with Emmy Award-winning actress and leading millennial voice Keke Palmer, where she will speak to the most critical issues facing Black women, including the implications of the Supreme Court's decision on Roe. The visit will be pooled press, open to pre-credentialed media through ESSENCE Fest, and livestreamed at whitehouse.gov/live/. 

At 7:00PM CDT on Saturday, July 2, the Vice President will depart New Orleans, Louisiana en route to Los Angeles, California. This departure from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and arrival at Los Angeles International Airport.

VP Supplemental Pool #19: motorcade rolling

At 8:34am PDT. 

En route to LAX. Your pooler did not see VPOTUS enter her vehicle.

VP Supplemental Pool #20: motorcade arrives to LAX, wheels up shortly

The motorcade arrived at LAX at 8:59am PDT. Your pooler saw a few people recording the motorcade as it glided down the 405. 

VPOTUS exited her vehicle at 9:03. She did not speak to your pooler, who was standing under the wing as she ascended to AF2 at 9:03 and waved before entering 

A WH official told your pooler VPOTUS was accompanied by her god daughter. I will share her name when I get it. 

We will be wheels up momentarily.

VP Supplemental Pool #21: wheels up

At 9:18am PDT.

Btw, A WH official told your pooler VPOTUS' god daughter's name is Helena Hudlin. Hudlin entered AF2 alongside VPOTUS. 

See y'all soon!

VP Supplemental Pool #22: wheels down, motorcade rolling to Essence Fest

AF2 landed at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport at 2:48pm CDT in Kenner. 

It is raining and a lovely 90 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Your pooler was joined by about three members of the press, including 2 photogs and a cameraman.  

VPOTUS descended from AF2 at 3:04pm CDT with a black umbrella onto the rainy tarmac. She was not greeted by anyone, did not come to speak with press and walked straight to her motorcade, which began rolling at 3:06 en route to New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, where she is expected to speak with Emmy award winning actress and star of the iconic Disney Channel Original Movie Jump In, Keke Palmer at 4:15pm CDT.

The pair are expected to speak about the most critical issues facing Black women, including the implications of the Supreme Court's decision on Roe, per a WH guidance. 

The talk will be live streamed  at whitehouse.gov/live/.

VP Supplemental Pool #23: VPOTUS arrives to Essence Fest

VPOTUS' motorcade arrived to the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center at 3:32 pm CDT. The ride from the airport was uneventful. Your pooler saw a few people use their phones to record the motorcade as it went through the city. 

Your pooler did not see VPOTUS exit her vehicle when it arrived to the convention center. 

Press is inside the convention center. 

The conversation with actress Keke Palmer, star of Nickelodeon's True Jackson, VP, is scheduled to begin at 4:15pm CDT. It will be live streamed at http://whitehouse.gov/live/. 

On background from a White House Official 

• Today, Vice President Harris will travel to New Orleans, Louisiana to participate in Essence Festival of Culture.
• Vice President Harris will participate in a fireside conversation with Emmy-winning actress and leading millennial voice Keke Palmer, where the Vice President will speak to the most critical issues facing Black women, including the implications of the Supreme Court's decision on Roe. This will be the largest audience the Vice President has addressed since the Court's decision last Friday.
• The Vice President has a long-standing record of fighting for health, safety, and wellbeing of women, including women's reproductive health.
• Since the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Vice President has been outspoken about the implications of the decision, including by delivering remarks soon after the decision in Plainfield, IL, while delivering remarks at a NALEO conference, in a sit down interview with CNN, and in an interview with NPR.
• While in New Orleans, the Vice President will also meet privately with the leaders of reproductive justice organizations.
• The Vice President last spoke at Essence Fest in 2019.
• This is the first time the Vice President is speaking at Essence Fest since the beginning of the Administration.

VP Supplemental Pool #24: Essence convo beginning

With Keke Palmer At 4:30 CDT. 

The convo is being live-streamed at whitehouse.gov/live/.

VP Supplemental Pool #25: Essence Q&A ends, VPOTUS in closed press engagement

The conversation ended at 5:01.

At the top of the conversation, VPOTUS tells a brief backstory of her "we did it Joe" meme. She told attendees about the day she presided over the confirmation vote of now-Justice KBJ. 

She told attendees about the moment she learned SCOTUS overturned Roe. She touted her work on maternal health as Vice President. 

She highlighted the child tax cut and child tax credit, noting that it reduced by 40% and that the administration has yet to get republicans to cross to help extend it. 

She noted the admin was looking at what can be done domestically to bring down the cost of gas. 

Harris highlighted the historical work of young activists leading the civil rights movement, BLM and environmental causes and urged young people to use their voice, especially in their own communities.

Your pooler is estimating about 400 people in the room for the Q&A. 

Your pooler is holding in the convention center. A WH official said VPOTUS will be in a "closed press engagement" for about 40 mins. 

We are then expected to depart for the airport via motorcade. 

The event was live-streamed.

VP Supplemental Pool #26: motorcade rolling to airport

Departed at 6:14pm cdt

Also, the last pool report should've been #25, not #23.

VP Supplemental Pool #27: VPOTUS arrives to airport, wheels up

VPOTUS arrived to the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport around 6:33pm cdt. 

Harris emerged from her vehicle, with her god daughter, at 6:37 pm, ascended to AF2 at 6:38, waved and entered; VPOTUS did not stop to speak with your pooler. We are headed back to LA. 

Wheels up at 6:52 cdt

See ya soon!

VP Supplemental Pool #28: AF2 wheels down at LAX, motorcade rolling

AF2 has wheels down at LAX at 8:14pm PDT. 

VPOTUS emerged from AF2 at 8:27pm.

Harris did not speak with your pooler, who is once again the only press with VPOTUS. Harris walked straight to her motorcade, which left for her Brentwood residence at 8:29pm

[APP Note: Report #29 does not exist or was not received by the APP.]