Who builds and sets up the presidential lecterns?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I saw an AP article by Zeke Miller and Colleen Long from October 11, 2022 titled Give him a hand: Biden ditching lectern for handheld mics. It mentioned that the type of large, bullet-resistant lectern shown above is known as a Blue Goose, and its smaller brother is a Falcon. An article by Josh King at The Verge on January 25, 2017 titled Trump’s big league microphone described the switch to a single close-in gooseneck microphone replacing the former pair of Shure SM 57s. That article described how the audio and other setups are carried out by a military unit (mostly of non-commissioned officers [NCOs]) known as the White House Communications Agency (WHCA).

 

Another article by Jacqueline Harnes at the U.S. Army on January 26, 2011 describes how the President is Wired for Sound. Still another article by Michael L. Lewis at the NCO Journal on April 21, 2015 titled NCOs Integral to Enabling the President to Communicate Anytime, Anywhere notes that:

 

“Service members at WHCA build every presidential podium, outfit and man every motorcade communications vehicle, operate the president’s TelePrompTer, and transport the necessary equipment wherever it is needed worldwide.”

  

Paul Simon even mentioned the presidential lectern or podium in a verse of his 1973 song, Loves Me Like a Rock:

 

“…. If I was President

And the Congress called my name

I’d say ‘now who do…

Who do you think you’re fooling?’

 

I’ve got the presidential seal

I’m up on the presidential podium

My mama loves me, she loves me

She get down on her knees and hug me

And she loves me like a rock….”

 

There is a good article about using microphones by Brian Young on pages 14 and 15 of the July 2015 Toastmaster magazine titled The Power of Sound. There also is a 5 – 1/2 minute YouTube video titled Toastmasters Tips -The Proper Way to Use a Microphone.

 

An oblique view of a Blue Goose lectern came from here at Wikimedia Commons.