Pool Reports of July 25, 2024 (2024)

In-town pool report #1: Lunch Lid and Kirby To Join Briefing

Good morning, all. I will be your pooler for today.

We have a lunch lid until 12:30pm. The White House also notes that National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby will join Jean-Pierre at today's 1:30pm press briefing.

In-town pool report #2: gathering for bilat

Your in town pool is now gathering for the Oval Office bilat between Biden and PM Netanyahu.

In-town pool report #3: Biden and bibi bilat, appears to hear question about election

Pool entered the Oval at 1:11 and exited a few minutes later.

Bibi and the President were standing when the pool entered. They shook hands and then sat down. Bibi was to the president's right.

The President did not say much and thanked everyone for being there. Bibi spoke of how the president and he have known each other for while.

Fuller quotes to follow.

Your pooler asked the president if he dropped out of the race because his health. He appeared to hear the question over the crosstalk and shook his head.

In-town pool report#4: attendees at Biden and Netanyahu's bilat

passing along from the WH:

The President is holding a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the State of Israel.

U.S. Delegation
T.H. Antony Blinken, Secretary of State
T.H. Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
T.H. Jon Finer, Assistant to the President & Principal Deputy National Security Advisor
T.H. Jack Lew, Ambassador of the United States to the State of Israel
T.H. Brett McGurk, Deputy Assistant to the President & Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, National Security Council
T.H. Amos Hochstein, Deputy Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President for Energy and Investment, National Security Council

Israel Delegation
H.E. Ron Dermer, Minister of Strategic Affairs
Mr. Tzachi Hanegbi, National Security Advisor
H.E. Mike Herzog, Ambassador of the State of Israel to the United States
Mr. Tzachi Braverman, Chief of Staff
Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman, Military Secretary
Dr. Ophir Falk, Foreign Policy Advisor

In-town pool report #5: Briefing to begin at 1:45

The WH passed along several minutes ago that the briefing will begin at 1:45. we have not received a 2 minute warning.

In-town pool report #6: Fuller quotes from Biden/Bibi bilat,

Flagging this from a previous pool report:

Your pooler asked the president if he dropped out of the race because of his health. He appeared to hear the question over the crosstalk and shook his head.

Here are fuller quotes from the Oval Office, moments ago. It was very brief. Please check against the official transcript.

Netanyahu: "From a proud Jew Zionist to a proud Irish American Zionist, I want to thank you for 50 years of public service and 50 years of support for the State of Israel. And I look forward to discussing with you today and working with you in the months ahead."

The president was very hard to hear. He speaks very briefly of his first time meeting with Prime Minister Golda Meir. Here is the CSPAN link of the meeting where you can listen to his remarks.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?537382-1/president-biden-holds-meeting-israeli-pm-netanyahu

In-town pool report #7: two minute warning

two minute warning till the press briefing

In-town pool report #8: briefing begins.

The press briefing began at 1:58 pm.

You can watch here:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

In-town pool report #9: briefing ends

The briefing concluded at 3:10 pm.

In-town pool report #10: Biden and Netanyahu Meet With Family of Hostages

passing along the following from the White House:

The President and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the State of Israel are meeting with the families of Americans held hostage by Hamas.

U.S. Delegation
T.H. Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
T.H. Jon Finer, Assistant to the President & Principal Deputy National Security Advisor
T.H. Phil Gordon, Assistant to the President & National Security Advisor to the Vice President
T.H. Jack Lew, Ambassador of the United States to the State of Israel
T.H. Brett McGurk, Deputy Assistant to the President & Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, National Security Council
Ms. Chandler Yonge, Director for Hostage and Detainee Issues, National Security Council

Israel Delegation
Mr. Gal Hirsch, Hostage and Missing Persons Envoy
H.E. Ron Dermer, Minister of Strategic Affairs
H.E. Mike Herzog, Ambassador of the State of Israel to the United States

Families of Americans held hostage by Hamas
Yael Alexander, Mother of Edan Alexander
Adi Alexander, Father of Edan Alexander
Ruby Chen, Father of Itay Chen
Hagit Chen, Mother of Itay Chen
Ronen Neutra, Father of Omer Neutra
Orna Neutra, Mother of Omer Neutra
Jonathan Dekel-Chen, Father of Sagui Dekel-Chen
Liz Naftali, Great Aunt of Abigail Mor Edan
Aviva Siegel, Wife of Keith Siegel
Elan Tiv Siegel, Daughter of Keith Siegel
Jon Polin, Father of Hersch Goldberg-Polin
Rachel Goldberg, Mother of Hersch Goldberg-Polin

In-town pool report #11: families of hostages to the sticks

The families of Americans held hostage by Hamas are going to the sticks.

In-town pool report #12: two minute warning till families at sticks

Families of hostages will come to the sticks in two minutes, per WH.

In-town pool report #13: quotes from families of hostages

The families took questions for about 14 minutes.

Though the families could not go into detail, they told reports that a ceasefire proposal should be coming out to the public soon. They added that while Biden and Netanyahu sometimes have a "rocky" relationship, right now it is "solid."

Below are some quotes, please check against the transcript. My otter is attached.

https://otter.ai/u/FtkoobM-IBefpRPTP9wfK8Lekzg

On Biden dropping out of the race and how that affects a hostage deal:

"On the contrary, I actually think it allows the president to be laser focused on the things that are true priorities to him. And saving human beings, cherished human beings 115 of them, eight of whom are US citizens is one paramount issue for him and I think not having to worry about all the things surrounding a reelection allows him the freedom to focus on this and we wish him Godspeed in that task."

"We are also very happy to hear from the President, that Hamas now understands that the ball is now in its court. World pressure is such that it has nowhere to hide anymore."

"We got an absolute commitment from the Biden administration and from Prime Minister Netanyahu that they understand the urgency of this moment now to waste no time and to complete this deal, as it currently stands with as little change as humanly possible within."

"We feel more optimistic than we have since the first round of releases."

In-town pool report #14: lid

A lid was called at 4:50pm.

Have a good night!

In-town pool report #15: Biden calls Oregon Gov

One more from me. Passing along from the WH:

President Biden called Oregon Governor Kotek this evening to discuss the wildfires across the state. Thousands of federal personnel are on the ground with their state and local counterparts, helping to fight the blazes and keep people safe. The President offered his support to ensure the state has everything they need to continue fighting these fires.

Foreign Pool#1 POTUS meeting with Israeli PM Benjamine Netanyahu

Good Morning from the White house,

I will be your pooler today for the oval bilat between President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamine Netanyahu. The meeting is expected at 1 pm.

Here is a background to the visit.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington on Monday night.

This is the 4th time he has addressed Congress. Previous addresses by Netanyahu to Congress have often focused on the Iranian nuclear threat and U.S.-Israel relations, with this visit being no different in emphasizing regional security issues and the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas

More than 100 lawmakers boycotted his speech. The boycott primarily included progressive Democrats who criticized Netanyahu's policies regarding the conduct of the war in Gaza, aid distribution and his government's stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and his refusal to accept a two states solution. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib carried a sign with a "war criminal" written on it.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, announced he was seeking an arrest warrant for Mr. Netanyahu and his Defense Minister on the ground of being responsible for war crimes.

Nancy Pelosi said in a post on X that : "Benjamin Netanyahu's presentation in the House Chamber today was by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary invited and honored with the privilege of addressing the Congress of the United States.", The PM received a resounding support and endorsem*nt for his policies in Gaza from Republicans members of congress.

Netanyahu shook lots of hands on his way into the chamber. He skipped Chuck Schumer, who called previously for his removal from office.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu included Noa Argamani, a former hostage rescued from Hamas captivity, in his address to Congress, where he recounted her story and conveyed her mother's final wishes.

Outside the Congress, there were thousands of protesters (Jewish Voices for Peace and others demanding a hostage deal and a permanent ceasefire). The protestors represented diverse groups advocating for different aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, from humanitarian concerns to calls for peace, few carried Hamas flags , sprayed moments with graffiti, and burnt American flags .

U.S. President Joe Biden is set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House shortly to talk about advancements toward a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, according to a statement from the White House. They will meet in the oval office.

Upon arriving in the U.S. on Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the families of Israelis held by Hamas and told them conditions for a deal to secure their release were "ripening." He attributed this to the intense military pressure Israel was applying on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Vice President Kamala Harris did not attend the joint speech of Prime Minister Netanyahu due to her pre-scheduled event in Indiana. The White House, however, has confirmed that she will have a private meeting with Netanyahu, emphasizing the administration's engagement with Israeli leadership. The meeting is due to take place at 4:30 pm at her office.

House Speaker Mike Johnson met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Capitol Hill Wednesday, reaffirming U.S. support for Israel as the conflict with Hamas in Gaza persists.

Former President Trump posted on Truth Social: "At the request of Bibi Netanyahu, we have switched this meeting to Friday, July 26th at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida!". Although his campaign said to your pooler (a source familiar with the campaign said that he's gonna talk on the phone with Mr. Trump).

Netanyahu is expected to continue meetings with other U.S. officials, attend events with the Jewish American community, and engage in media interviews to discuss Israel's position on the war in Gaza, a hostage deal and Iranians threats.

Foreign Pool #2 POTUS with Israeli PM - Oval spray

The pool entered the Oval Office at 1:11 pm. Both POTUS and PM Netanyahu were chatting while standing. They waited for journalists to settle in the crowded room, then shook hands and sat down.

POTUS welcomed the PM. Mr. Netanyahu expressed his pleasure at meeting the President, noting it as a proud Jewish Zionist meeting a proud Irish Zionist.

POTUS reminded him of how long his relationship with Israeli leaders goes back, recalling his meeting with Prime Minister Golda Meir and a young man who was sitting next to her. That man, Yitzhak Rabin, later became Prime Minister of Israel.

Journalists shouted many questions, he didn't take any, and seems to shake his head when asked if he dropped out of the race due to health issues.

Pool was in the oval for few mintues

Foreign pool report #3 POTUS / Israel PM

Full quote from the Israeli PM :

"Well, we've known each other for 40 years. and you've known every Israeli prime minister for 50 years. So, from a proud Zionist Jew to a proud Zionist Irish American I want to thank you for 50 years of public service and 50 years of support for the State of Israel. I look forward to discussing with you today thank you. "

Passing along from the WH:

The President is holding a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the State of Israel.

U.S. Delegation

T.H. Antony Blinken, Secretary of State
T.H. Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
T.H. Jon Finer, Assistant to the President & Principal Deputy National Security Advisor
T.H. Jack Lew, Ambassador of the United States to the State of Israel
T.H. Brett McGurk, Deputy Assistant to the President & Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, National Security Council
T.H. Amos Hochstein, Deputy Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President for Energy and Investment, National Security Council

Israel Delegation

H.E. Ron Dermer, Minister of Strategic Affairs
Mr. Tzachi Hanegbi, National Security Advisor
H.E. Mike Herzog, Ambassador of the State of Israel to the United States
Mr. Tzachi Braverman, Chief of Staff
Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman, Military Secretary Dr. Ophir Falk, Foreign Policy Advisor