'I have so many friends going to your countries trying to get rich!' Trump tells African leaders their nations have 'tremendous business potential' but too many people are suffering from conflict

  • Trump told African leaders attending a United Nations luncheon on Wednesday that their nations have 'tremendous business potential'
  • 'I have so many friends going to your countries trying to get rich. I congratulate you. They're spending a lot of money,' the former real estate developer said
  • Went on to talk about conflict in the region and the suffering its causing Africans
  • Ringing the bell once again on the continent's potential, he said: 'You’ve done a terrific job, you’ve had some tremendous obstacles placed in your path'
  • The word 'potential' was on the tip of Trump's tongue all week at the UN
  • First, it was the property that he owns on UN Plaza: 'I actually saw great potential right across the street, to be honest with you,' he said
  • Then it was the UN itself: 'A lot of potential. The United Nations has tremendous potential and we'll see how it works out,' Trump said on Monday

President Donald Trump told African leaders attending a Wednesday luncheon associated with the United Nations General Assembly that their nations have 'tremendous business potential,' although 'too many people are suffering from conflict' on the continent.

'Africa has tremendous business potential. I have so many friends going to your countries trying to get rich. I congratulate you. They're spending a lot of money,' the former real estate developer said.

Staying on the topic, Trump said, 'But it does, it has a tremendous business potential. And representing huge amounts of different markets. And for American firms, it's really become a place that they have to go, that they want to go.

'Six of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies are in Africa,' he pointed out.

Later in his remarks Trump said African leaders have done a 'terrific job' in spite of the 'tremendous obstacles placed in your path.'

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President Donald Trump told African leaders attending a Wednesday luncheon associated with the United Nations General Assembly that their nations have 'tremendous business potential,' although 'too many people are suffering from conflict' on the continent

President Donald Trump told African leaders attending a Wednesday luncheon associated with the United Nations General Assembly that their nations have 'tremendous business potential,' although 'too many people are suffering from conflict' on the continent

President Donald Trump greets Guinea President Alpha Conde, right, during a luncheon with African leaders at the Palace Hotel during the United Nations General Assembly

President Donald Trump greets Guinea President Alpha Conde, right, during a luncheon with African leaders at the Palace Hotel during the United Nations General Assembly

'Africa has tremendous business potential. I have so many friends going to your countries trying to get rich. I congratulate you. They're spending a lot of money,' the former real estate developer said

'Africa has tremendous business potential. I have so many friends going to your countries trying to get rich. I congratulate you. They're spending a lot of money,' the former real estate developer said

The word 'potential' was on the tip of Trump's tongue all week as he attended UN functions.

First, it was the property that he owns on UN Plaza.

'I actually saw great potential right across the street, to be honest with you, and it was only for the reason that the United Nations was here that that turned out to be such a successful project,' Trump said at the top of his remarks Monday during a meeting on UN reform.

He was making reference to Trump World Tower, the 72-story glass rectangular building located across the street from the UN's international headquarters.

On it's web site, the Trump Organization touts the UN as a prime selling point for Trump World Tower's condos.

'Adjacent to the United Nations Headquarters and surrounded by lush landscaping with a public plaza along East 47th Street, our 90-story building offers residential condominiums that deliver incomparable luxury,' the site says.

After delivering remarks where he criticized UN spending, Trump said, the international body has 'a lot of potential.'

'The meeting was very good. I met a lot of the people that I have been dealing with over the last nine months. A lot of potential. The United Nations has tremendous potential and we'll see how it works out,' Trump said. 

Asked about the message of the major speech he was preparing to give the following day, Trump said it was to ‘make the United Nations great. Not again. Make the United Nations great.'

'Such tremendous potential, and I think we'll be able to do this,' he told reporters then. 

This afternoon, Trump talked about the 'potential' of African nations during an event that was billed as a working lunch. 

Ministers and heads of state from Uganda, South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana and Ethiopia were in attendance.

Trump's National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Chief of Staff John Kelly and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley were also at the luncheon where Trump addressed the violence, terrorism and humanitarian crises that have engulfed African nations.

'As you well know, too many people are suffering from conflict in Africa,' Trump told attendees.

The American president said his administration is 'closely monitoring and deeply disturbed' by the violence in South Sudan and the Congo, in particular. 

'But real results in halting this catastrophe will require an African-led peace process and a sincere -- really sincere commitment of all parties involved.,' he stated. 'And I know you're working on that, and you're working very hard.'

To that end, Trump said he's sending Haley to Africa to discuss avenues of conflict resolution and prevention. 

African nations are also beating back terror threats from ISIS, al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, and al Qaeda, Trump said.

Libya, Mali, Somalia, the Congo, the Central African Republic and South Sudan, 'they’re going through some very, very tough and very dangerous times,' he assessed.

'A number of you have told me, actually last night, that we’ve been doing a very good job over the last six or seven months,' he said of the administration's terror stance. 

HHS Secretary Tom Price will also be visiting Africa to promote the United States' health security agenda, Trump told them, bringing up the the battle against HIV/AIDS in Uganda and the Ebola outbreak in Guinea and Nigeria. 

'We cannot have prosperity if we're not healthy,' he contended.

Touching briefly on the global threat that North Korea poses, Trump told them, 'We must all stand together and be accountable in implementing United Nations sanctions and resolutions in response to North Korea’s hostile and menacing actions.

'We believe that a free, independent, and democratic nation, in all cases, is the best vehicle for human happiness and success.'

Trump said in closing, as attendees prepared to engage in conversation over their meal, that Africa is 'growing very fast economically and in every other way.'

'Africa, I have to say, is a continent of tremendous, tremendous potential. The outlook is bright,' Trump said, ringing the bell once again. 'You’ve done a terrific job, you’ve had some tremendous obstacles placed in your path, but you have done, really, an absolutely incredible job.' 

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