Donald Trump really loves the idea of American expansion. During his first term as president, he looked into whether the U.S. could buy Greenland from Denmark. During this year’s presidential campaign, he vowed to colonize Mars. He and his aides and allies have repeatedly flirted with the idea of invading Mexico. More recently, he’s suggested Canada should become the 51st state. And as of this weekend, the trade-warring president-elect is now threatening to seize the Panama Canal.
In a pair of Truth Social posts on Saturday night, Trump used his pending bully pulpit to claim that Panama was charging “exorbitant” and “ridiculous” fees for the U.S. and corporations with U.S. interests to transit the 50-mile canal. He complained that Panama wasn’t showing the U.S. enough gratitude for building the complex waterway. He lambasted the 1977 treaty Jimmy Carter signed ceding the canal to Panama, and he claimed Panama was violating that treaty by allowing China to manage it. Then he threatened that if things didn’t change, “we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question”:
This complete “rip-off” of our Country will immediately stop The United States has a vested interest in the secure, efficient, and reliable operation of the Panama Canal, and that was always understood. We would and will NEVER let it fall into the wrong hands! It was not given for the benefit of others, but merely as a token of cooperation with us and Panama. If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question. To the Officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly!
China does not manage the canal. Trump’s complaints on that relate to Panama having renewed, in 2022, a longstanding arrangement with a Hong Kong-based company to manage the two ports of entry to the canal. (The renewed deal has also recently drawn some ire in Congress.)
Trump reiterated his demand during his speech at the Turning Point USA America Fest on Sunday:
Trump: If the principles, both moral and legal of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed then we will demand that Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America in full, quickly, and without question pic.twitter.com/qKoH2a83JA
— Acyn (@Acyn) December 22, 2024
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino wasn’t impressed. “Every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent area belongs to Panama and will continue to be so,” Mulino responded on Sunday, though without mentioning Trump by name. “The sovereignty and independence of our country aren’t negotiable.”
Without mentioning Trump by name, Mulino addressed Trump’s complaints over rising fees for ships crossing the canal, saying they are set by experts who take into account operational costs, and supply and demand factors.
“The tariffs are not set on a whim” Mulino said. He noted that Panama has expanded the canal over the years to increase ship traffic “on its own initiative,” and added that shipping fee increases help pay for improvements.
“Panamanians may have different views on many issues” Mulino said. “But when it comes to our canal, and our sovereignty, we will all unite under our Panamanian flag.”
Trump then posted “We’ll see about that!” in response and shared an image of an American flag over the canal captioned with the message “Welcome to the United States Canal!”
Trump now more directly threatening to take full control of the Panama Canal, just hours after Panama’s president vowed that “every square mile” would remain under Panamanian control pic.twitter.com/Uj7ZHqiUTQ
— Alex Ward (@alexbward) December 22, 2024
Since Panama is clearly not willing to give back the Canal — which the country has controlled since 1999 and spent billions of dollars to improve, and is a source of great national pride — pretty much the only way Trump could take control of the waterway would be for the U.S. to invade Panama (again).
Also, Trump still wants Greenland. In his announcement on Sunday nominating tech investor Ken Howery as ambassador to Denmark, Trump wrote that “For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”
This post has been updated.
