Remarks by President Trump and President Duque of Colombia Before Bilateral Meeting | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Q (Inaudible) trips in the past. When are you visiting Colombia? Because you've cancelled -

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: I'll be visiting. I really want to. I want to visit Colombia. I look forward to visiting.

    PRESIDENT DUQUE: We're inviting you (inaudible) this year, Mr. President.

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: We're working very, very closely on the drug situation.

    Q Mr. President, would you consider an amnesty to Maduro? For Maduro?

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: It's something we haven't thought of. Something we haven't thought of.

    Q Your thoughts on Ted Cruz's proposal to use El Chapo money to pay for the wall?

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, it's always interesting. (Laughter.) Anything Ted does is interesting. So, that's certainly an interesting one.

    Q Mr. President, (inaudible) Colombia's drug policy?

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah. We're working together so that Colombia eradicates some of what they're growing in Colombia. I wouldn't say that, at this moment, you're ahead of schedule. But hopefully you will be at - sometime in the near future.

    PRESIDENT DUQUE: But let me mention something to that question, Mr. President. In the first four months of our administration, we have eradicated 60,000 hectares - more than was eradicated in the previous eight months. We have a goal - and we will commit to that goal - because it is our moral duty to have Colombia free of illegal crops and free of narco-trafficking.

    We have to deliver. We will deliver because it is our moral duty.

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: I just want to say before you leave: The economy is doing incredibly well. Numbers are really high, really good.


    We have a big team of people - very talented people - over in China right now negotiating on the China deal. It's going along very well. We'll see what happens, but I think it's going along very well. They're showing us tremendous respect and - something which a lot of countries didn't used to show the United States. They're showing us respect now. Big difference from the old days, I will tell you that.

    So the deal with China is going very well. The economy is doing fantastically. You saw the Gallup poll that came out: Sixty-nine percent or so say they're going to be in better shape next year than even this year. And they're very happy right now. And that's the best numbers they've had in 16 or 17 years. But the economy is strong. We have a lot of companies coming into the United States. They want to come into the United States. So we have a lot of good things happening. And the wall is being built as we speak.

    Thank you all very much.

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