Donald Trump to Panama, return to principles or we will demand the canal bank
Donald Trump took to Truth Social to complain about how officials in Panama have been profiting off of US shipping. Trump specifically took issue with the fees that the Panamanian government was charging US commercial and U.S. Navy ships for passing through the canal. Trump addressed the security importance of the canal, and the basis of transferring the canal over to Panama. It was done for cooperation between the United States and Panama. Donald Trump warned that if the Panamanians did not abide by the moral and legal principles of the hand over, the United States was going to demand the canal back.
From FOXBusiness:
“The Panama Canal is considered a VITAL National Asset for the United States, due to its critical role to America’s Economy and National Security,” Trump wrote in his post. “A secure Panama Canal is crucial for U.S. Commerce, and rapid deployment of the Navy, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and drastically cuts shipping times to U.S. ports.”
The incoming president criticized former President Carter, who Trump said “foolishly gave it away, for One Dollar.” In 1977, Carter signed the Panama Canal Treaty, which phased out U.S. control of the canal by 1999.
Carter also signed the Neutrality Treaty, which ensured that the tolls would be equal for all nations. Trump implied that the U.S. should be given preferential treatment in his post.
“Our Navy and Commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way,” the president-elect argued. “The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the U.S. This complete ‘rip-off’ of our Country will immediately stop.”
Trump also floated the idea of demanding the canal’s ownership be returned to the United States if American ships are not given fair treatment.
“[The Panama Canal] was not given for the benefit of others, but merely as a token of cooperation with us and Panama,” Trump concluded. “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!”
Additional Reading:
Margolis, A. (2024, December 21). Trump floats idea of US reclaiming Panama Canal: ‘Foolishly gave it away’. FOXBusiness. Link.
Category: Big Navy, Donald Trump, International Affairs
The Canal has a bank???
Probably two; left and right.
Heh.
I felt that coming 😆
Last time I transited the canal it looked like it was in rough shape. A shipmate who was stationed in Panama for a time with the US Army lamented this, saying that when we ran it, the canal and surrounding areas were pristine. (Before my time though…)
Demonstration why DEI means Didn’t Earn It.
This just after the 35 th anniversary of Just Cause. I was down there with 4/17 Inf. 7 th ID
And while you and our other troops were down there, Good Sir, I was screaming at everybody that would listen we should go ahead and take back control of the Canal Zone. It was ours, we built it (when everybody else FAILED to build it), we kept it maintained, secure, and open to the world. And since we were already there, go ahead and kick those penny ante drug dealing despotic dictators out of Central and South America, tell NATO to kiss off, and secure the Western Hemisphere under the terms of The Monroe Doctrine.
Now, here we are…Plenty of despots left in Central/South America, the ChiComs have pretty much taken over the canal (which is now becoming a muddy ditch that’s falling apart), the Russians AND the ChiComs are steadily building relationships (read Military Bases) thruout the area and our military is operating with high priced equipment (that doesn’t work as well as it should), making sure that all of the DEI Boxes are checked. God help us if the Atlantic Fleet has to hurry over to help out the Pacific Fleet.
I’m sure the decline of the canal has nothing to do with intentional action by the chicoms to degrade our military capabilities, especially to rapidly move our forces from one ocean to another in response to hostile action against say an island…
Either do it the man says or we will exhume And reanimate Teddy Roosevelt & Ronald Reagan And fuck you up….
Bully!
Let’s not forget Lincoln!
P.S. I couldn’t find one I liked of Reagan.
Carter…2nd worst president ever.
…well, 3rd now.
Who’s the 2nd in your view?
I’ve long seen Buchanan and Pierce ranking high up there…
Franklin ‘Bloody Kansas’ Pierce and James ‘kick the can down the road’ Buchanan (how’d that work out for you, buddy?)? Yep.
Not the one who just got re-elected, that’s for sure.
Wooooh! I’m skeered!
Fort Clayton currently has a CPLA flag on the poll, the people smugglers are working from it also,
So just what good was Jimmeh Kahtuh thinking that giving the Canal to the Panamanian Government was going to do?
Well a Chinese Company basically build the new canal and runs the old one
I’m sure if and when China invades Taiwan
They will either destroy or do something that makes the canal unusable for a bit