Transcript - Remarks: Donald Trump Holds a Bilateral Meeting With Iván Duque Márquez of Colombia - March 2, 2020 | Factba.se

Donald Trump

00:00:00 - 00:00:20 (21 sec)

Thank you very much. It's my honor to have the President of Colombia with us. We have many things to discuss, including borders and trade and, unfortunately, drugs and drug trafficking. And we're going to have a good, long session. This was scheduled very quickly, over the weekend, and we look forward to meeting.

Donald Trump

00:00:20 - 00:00:28 (7 sec)

We're going to have representatives on both sides. Many things to talk about. And thank you very much, Mr. President.

Iván Duque Márquez

00:00:28 - 00:00:44 (17 sec)

Thank you so much, Mr. President. It's always an honor to be here. As you know, we have been strong allies, not only defending democracy in the region, but also fighting corruption and drug trafficking. You know the commitment we have jointly against those terrible threats. So it's a pleasure to be here.

Iván Duque Márquez

00:00:44 - 00:00:46 (2 sec)

Thank you so much, Mr. President.

Donald Trump

00:00:46 - 00:01:06 (20 sec)

We've been working very well together on drugs and on trafficking -- beyond drugs, trafficking and drugs, and trafficking and lots of other things. Unfortunately, human trafficking, which has become a very big problem. Tonight, I'll be going -- as you know, we'll be going to North Carolina. We have a big rally scheduled, and that should be, I think, terrific.

Donald Trump

00:01:06 - 00:01:28 (22 sec)

It's -- thousands of people are already out there waiting. So we're going to have, hopefully, a good time. We're going to make a lot of different predictions tonight also. Working very hard with CDC, with everybody in the -- on a subject that has become a very big subject. The -- our country is doing very well.

Donald Trump

00:01:28 - 00:01:44 (17 sec)

Our professionals are doing, really, an incredible job. We're also working with other countries to help them because they really have a fear of the unknown. We're working very much with a lot of other countries on -- including Colombia -- but we're working with a lot of other countries on helping them with respect to this problem.

Donald Trump

00:01:44 - 00:02:06 (22 sec)

And, again, we're doing very well. Some additional people were reported. They're in good shape, but we have some additional people that were reported. Not very many in the United States. So we will be having a news conference later. I'm also meeting with the pharmaceutical companies later on this afternoon.

Donald Trump

00:02:06 - 00:02:21 (16 sec)

We have a big meeting with the biggest companies. Really, the most powerful companies -- hopefully the smartest companies -- anywhere in the world when it comes to drugs and vaccines, because we're talking about a vaccine. Maybe a cure; it's possible. So we'll see about that. But we're talking about a vaccine.

Donald Trump

00:02:21 - 00:02:33 (12 sec)

And they're moving along very quickly. All of the pharmaceutical companies are moving along very quickly. But you'll be invited to a part of that meeting, so we'll see you a little bit later on in the afternoon. And thank you all very much. Thank you.

Question

00:02:33 - 00:02:40 (6 sec)

President Trump, what do you think about the efforts of Colombian government to fight against drugs? Do you agree with the aerial spraying with glyphosate?

Donald Trump

00:02:40 - 00:02:48 (8 sec)

Well, you're going to have to spray. If you don't spray, you're not going to get rid of them. So you have to spray, with regard to the drugs in Colombia. Yeah.

Question

00:02:48 - 00:02:49 (1 sec)

Are you going to talk about Venezuela?

Iván Duque Márquez

00:02:49 - 00:02:49 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:02:49 - 00:02:50 (1 sec)

Iván Duque Márquez

00:02:50 - 00:03:07 (17 sec)

-- add something that is very important. We have to combine all the elements that we have: obviously, precision spraying, but also the record highs that we reached in 2019 on manual eradication and also dismantling the drug cartels. So we have to work on all the elements, and we have to be very strong against crime.

Iván Duque Márquez

00:03:07 - 00:03:17 (11 sec)

That crime is hurting our people and it's hurting people everywhere. And we need to work jointly in that effort, as we have been doing so far.

Question

00:03:17 - 00:03:19 (2 sec)

Regarding Venezuela, what's next steps from the United States, helping the region?

Donald Trump

00:03:19 - 00:03:34 (14 sec)

We're talking about Venezuela. One of the things we're talking about is Venezuela. A big subject for us. And they're treating the people of Venezuela unbelievably badly. They don't have water, they don't have food. They don't have anything. And we are talking about that. That's a big -- that's a big topic of discussion.

Donald Trump

00:03:34 - 00:03:35 (1 sec)

Question

00:03:35 - 00:03:35 (1 sec)

What do you want to hear from --

Iván Duque Márquez

00:03:35 - 00:03:37 (2 sec)

Mr. President, if I may add something to that.

Donald Trump

00:03:37 - 00:03:37 (0 sec)

Iván Duque Márquez

00:03:37 - 00:03:53 (15 sec)

It's very important that we are stronger on sanctions against a dictatorship in Venezuela. Venezuela is running out of things. They have destroyed all the healthcare system. So we have to, in this year, work together jointly so there's a political and democratic transition that is effective in Venezuela.

Question

00:03:53 - 00:03:59 (7 sec)

What do you want to hear from pharmaceutical executives about the vaccine?

Donald Trump

00:03:59 - 00:04:16 (16 sec)

Well, we're talking. You know, this meeting was set up before, and that was about drug pricing. This meeting was set up a long time ago with the pharmaceutical companies. And that meeting was about drug pricing, because we brought the numbers down last year -- first time in 51 years that the drug prices, prescription, have come down.

Donald Trump

00:04:16 - 00:04:21 (5 sec)

And I have a meeting scheduled on drug prices, but now we're going to make another subject and that will be -- probably the first subject of that has to do with the vaccine, how are they doing.

Question

00:04:21 - 00:04:23 (2 sec)

Is it possible to accelerate the development of the vaccine?

Donald Trump

00:04:23 - 00:04:28 (5 sec)

Well, that's what we're going to find out. We'll know that.

Question

00:04:28 - 00:04:30 (2 sec)

Dr. Fauci has said it could take a year.

Donald Trump

00:04:30 - 00:04:33 (3 sec)

Well, we've asked them to accelerate whatever they're doing, in terms of a vaccine. Absolutely.

Question

00:04:33 - 00:04:40 (8 sec)

Mr. President, is it safe or appropriate to be holding rallies during a public health crisis like this?

Donald Trump

00:04:40 - 00:04:52 (12 sec)

Well, these were set up a long time ago. And others are. I mean, you could ask that to the Democrats because they're having a lot of rallies. They're all having rallies. That's what they're doing. They're campaigning.

Question

00:04:52 - 00:05:00 (7 sec)

But do you think it's safe? Are you worried at all?

Donald Trump

00:05:00 - 00:05:04 (4 sec)

I think it's very safe. Yeah. I think it's very safe.

Question

00:05:04 - 00:05:06 (2 sec)

Mr. President, do you think that the inter-Afghan talks are going to actually start on the --

Donald Trump

00:05:06 - 00:05:07 (1 sec)

Question

00:05:07 - 00:05:09 (2 sec)

Do you think that the inter-Afghan talks are really going to start as planned on [Inaudible]?

Donald Trump

00:05:09 - 00:05:22 (13 sec)

Well, we're going to find out. But we're getting out. We want to get out. We had good meetings with the Taliban. And we are going to be leaving, and we're going to be bringing our soldiers back home. We've been there for almost 20 years. It's a long time. We've done a great job in terms of getting rid of terrorists.

Donald Trump

00:05:22 - 00:05:24 (2 sec)

Now it's up to other countries to get rid of those terrorists.

Question

00:05:24 - 00:05:27 (3 sec)

What if the violence picks back up again?

Donald Trump

00:05:27 - 00:05:37 (10 sec)

Well, we're going to meet. We have discussions to go. But we've made a lot of progress. Okay? Thank you. Thank you all very much. See you later. Thank you. Thank you very much.