Vice Presidential Pool Reports of May 1, 2025

VP Pool Note #1 JBA arrival

Marine Two landed at 11:08 am. The vice president stepped out of Air Force 2 at 11:12 am. He stepped onto AF2 at 11:12 am. He was speaking on his cellphone as he walked. He did not answer a shouted question about Mike Waltz.

The VP is traveling to Huger, South Carolina, today to tour Nucor Steel Berkeley, a steel manufacturing facility. According to a statement from the White House, "Vice President Vance and Administrator Zeldin will deliver remarks highlighting America's manufacturing renaissance during the first one hundred days of the Trump Administration."

According to a spokesman for the Vice President, VP Vance is traveling with EPA administrator Lee Zeldin to South Carolina.

Shortly before the VP's arrival, Fox News anchor Brett Baier joined the press pool under the wing of AF2. The VP is expected to be interviewed by Baier later today.

VP Note #2 typo/wheels up

The VP stepped out of Marine 2 — not AF2 — at 11:12. He then entered AF2 seconds later. We will be wheels up momentarily.

VP Note 3 wheels down Charleston

AF2 was wheels down at 12:30 PM. The VP exited AF2 at 12:50 PM. He waved in the direction of press before descending down the steps.

The VP was greeted by Captain G. Reed Koepp II, according to a VP spokesman. He spoke to him briefly before entering the motorcade at 12:51 PM. He did not stop for shouted questions about national security adviser Mike Waltz.

Shortly before the VP exited AF2, EPA administrator Lee Zeldin exited out of the back of the plane. We're rolling at 12:55 PM.

VP Note 4 Nucor Steel tour

The VP's motorcade arrived at Nucor Steel in Huger, South Carolina at roughly 1:30. We passed dozens of spectators along the way, some standing on parked boats and others standing along the road to catch a sight of the VP. An audience in hard hats were already positioned on bleachers awaiting the VP's speech as the motorcade pulled into the plant. They waved at the motorcade as we entered. We also passed by tall piles of scrap metal, as well as scores of steel coils and beams. A staffer on site said all the coils are made of recycled metal.

Your pooler did not see the VP enter the steel mill. We were brought through Door 16 of the Melt Shop and led up a steep flight of stairs to a control room at 1:35 PM. VP entered the control room and approached NOTUS reporter Reese Gorman for a handshake, apparently thinking he was an employee at the mill.

"Oh you guys are just reporters," Vance said with a laugh. "You got all the shit on, I couldn't tell."

Reporters were wearing hard hats and PPE. Vance then walked over to the actual employees of the mill and greeted them before observing the melting of the steel into a massive furnace just outside the control room.

"That's awesome," Vance said.

"How hot is it?" He asked.

"And that's going to drop a bunch of new scrap in there?" Vance asked as he looked at the bright orange from the molten metal of the furnace.

The press was escorted out at 1:42 and brought to the vans. We were then escorted to the control room of the hot mill at 2 PM. The vice president entered one minute later.

"Does it tell you how many coils are in each order here?" Vance asked one employee as he pointed at a spreadsheet on the screen.

"Like a big customer, how many coils are they going to order?" Vance asked.

VP Staffers escorted the press out at 2:03 PM. We're now awaiting his speech.

From a VP spokesman:

• The Vice President will be greeted by Leon Topalain, Nucor Chief Executive Officer and Jon Witherow, Nucor Steel Vice President and General Manager

VP Note 5 steel mill speech

I'm told the speech is being streamed but here's some notes.

VP began speaking at 2:31 PM.

He walked on as "America First," by Merle Haggard played. Steel mill workers in green hard hats stood behind the VP on bleachers. Scores of employees and others made up the audience in front of Vance. At the bottom of his podium was a sign stating, "America is Back." An American flag was displayed on a metal wall behind him.

After thanking Lee Zeldin and the employees at the plant, Vance noted that the wind was blowing his teleprompters so he might need to go off script. Check quotes on the transcript or stream.

"100 days means energy dominance, we have started drill baby drilling, it means cheaper gas," Vance said.

He said 100 days means "secure borders" and "safer streets." He said it "marks the beginning of the industrial renaissance."

Vance talked about how much the tour meant to him and reminisced about driving around a mill in Ohio with his grandfather. "I hope every single one of you, you guys and you guys in front of me, feel a sense of pride," Vance said.

"This is America's national heritage; it's making things," Vance said.

He then accused the Biden administration of neglecting mills like the one he was speaking at.

He told the story of one of his children getting an ear infection and how he went to a pharmacy to get a specific kind of medicine, only to be told America doesn't make enough of the drug. He talked about the U.S. not having enough supplies during Covid.

"The lesson is that you got to make your own stuff, that is the lesson the Trump administration is putting into place during its first 100 days," Vance said.

"I'm sure you've heard some criticism of the president's trade policy from people who ought to know better," Vance said.

He criticized the media for its coverage of Trump's trade policies.

"Do you want to ship American jobs off to the People's Republic of China?" Vance asked the crowd.

"So why don't we rebuild America's middle class and America's manufacturing?" Vance said.

"Isn't it nice to have an administration that supports you for a change?" Vance said.

He said the American dream was not built by people "selling digital advertising in Silicon Valley," but rather workers at steel mills.

Vance said he was in awe of the technology at the mill. He said that he felt like "Homer Simpson" while looking at all of the various screens displaying datasets.

He said he sees not the steel jobs of the past but the future. "Never let anybody tell you that this isn't high tech," Vance said. "You're building the America of the future, not the America of the past."

Vance stopped speaking at 2:52 PM. We're in vans at 3 PM.

VP Note rolling

The VP's motorcade left the steel mill at 3:30. Your pooler did not have eyes on the vice president entering the motorcade.

VP Note #7 Joint Base Charleston arrival

We arrived at Joint Base Charleston around 4. VP stepped out of his motorcade at 4:04 to take a group photo with law enforcement on site. He then took a photograph with the volunteers from the trip. And then another photograph with the SWAT teams. He did not stop for a shouted question about Waltz.

Vance stepped up to Air Force 2 and waved back before entering at 4:07 PM.

Thanks all.

VP Note #8 wheels up

Air Force 2 is wheels up at 4:21 PM.