Here Are All The Things Obama's Doing Today Instead Of Going On The Campaign Trail
According to his public schedule, Obama has meetings from the morning until the early evening on various topics.
Obama plans to have a 10 a.m. daily briefing, an afternoon lunch with Vice President Joe Biden, a 2 p.m. sit-down with the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, a 4 p.m. meeting with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, and an update with public health officials on the Ebola virus.
Noticeably absent from Obama's schedule is any Election Day campaign event, though the president has held some rallies in recent weeks for Democratic candidates running in left-leaning states. Observers have widely speculated Obama's somewhat scarce presence on the campaign trail is due to his relative unpopularity in the polls, especially in many of the moderate and conservative-leaning states holding the most competitive Senate races.
On Monday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest was pressed on Obama's lack of political events in the closing days of the election. Earnest insisted campaigns were simply focused on their own get-out-the-vote efforts.
"We are entering a different phase of the election cycle, which is this is when successful campaigns, at least, turn their attention from some of the broader arguments that are carried over the television waves and are focused on a ground campaign to make sure that their voters are turning out on Election Day," Earnest said, according to a White House transcript.
Earnest also credited Obama's 2012 re-election campaign as an "important" contribution to Democratic candidates.
"As long as we're talking about the president, I think it is relevant to note that many of those ground campaigns are actually based on a strategy that was successfully implemented by this president in the context of his reelection campaign in 2012," he said. "So that is one important way that this President and his campaign apparatus are benefiting campaigns."
The White House also announced Tuesday morning that Obama will begin a trip to Burma, Australia, and China next week.
Here's Obama's full Election Day schedule:
10:00AM In-Town Pool Call Time
10:15AM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT receive the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
12:30PM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT meet for lunch
Private Dining Room
Closed Press
2:10PM THE PRESIDENT meets with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund; THE VICE PRESIDENT also attends
Oval Office
Closed Press
4:00PM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT meet with Secretary of Defense Hagel
Oval Office
Closed Press
4:45PM THE PRESIDENT meets with his national security and public health teams to receive an update on the Ebola response; THE VICE PRESIDENT also attends
The Situation Room
Closed Press