Posting on his Truth Social social media platform in the evening of Saturday, December 21, President-elect Donald Trump commented on the critical nature of the Panama Canal as a tool of American power and economic might, insisting that America could take the canal back if Panama continues treating the United States unfairly.
As background, it was President Jimmy Carter who negotiated the return of the Panama Canal to Panama. That came when he negotiated with General Omar Torrijos to create the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, which eventually gave Panama control of the Panama Canal. Those treaties were signed on September 7, 1977 in Washington, D.C., ratified by the Senate in 1978, and effected at the end of 1999 by Bill Clinton, who turned the canal over. Carter gave up the treaty because he saw American control of Panama as an injustice.
Trump, in any case, began his post by noting the immense importance of the Panama Canal for American commerce and naval might. He wrote, commenting on that aspect of the canal, “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. 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.”
Emphasizing the immense importance of the Panama Canal to American commercial interests by noting the amount of America-bound traffic that passes through it, the president-elect then added, “The United States is the Number One user of the Canal, with over 70 percent of all transits heading to, or from, U.S. ports.”
Trump also noted the many men who died building the Panama Canal (though he vastly overstated the true death toll of ~5,600), the president-elect said, “Considered one of the Wonders of the Modern World, the Panama Canal opened for business 110 years ago, and was built at HUGE cost to the United States in lives and treasure – 38,000 American men died from infected mosquitos in the jungles during construction.”
Then, contrasting the foresight of Teddy Roosevelt with the fecklessness of Jimmy Carter, Trump said, “Teddy Roosevelt was President of the United States at the time of its building, and understood the strength of Naval Power and Trade. When President Jimmy Carter foolishly gave it away, for One Dollar, during his term in Office, it was solely for Panama to manage, not China, or anyone else.”
The president-elect then also noted that Panama is treating America in quite unfair fashion, alleging, “It was likewise not given for Panama to charge the United States, its Navy, and corporations, doing business within our Country, exorbitant prices and rates of passage. Our Navy and Commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way.”
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Concluding with a threat directed Panama’s way regarding that unfair treatment and those fees at issue, he said, “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….”
Watch Trump issue a warning to Biden as well, recently: