Donald Trump made the suggestion that his new administration might attempt to retake control of the Panama Canal, which the United States “foolishly” ceded to its core American allies, alleging that exporters are being charged “ridiculous” charges for passing through the crucial transit route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Panama’s traditional leader José Raúl Mulino, who was elected in April on a pro-business system, vehemently rejected that idea as an affront to his country’s independence. The Republican president-elect made the comment at his first big march since winning the White House on November 5. He also used his remarks to celebrate his victory as a sizable crowd of liberals cheered along with his victory. It was in opposition to a recently concluded funds debate on Capitol Hill, where some GOP legislators openly defied their leader’s needs. Addressing followers at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Arizona, Trump pledged that his “dream group Cabinet” would offer a flourishing business, cover U. S. borders and rapidly live wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. Trump said,” I may proudly proclaim that the Golden Age of America is upon us.” His presence captained a four-day pep rally that attracted more than 20 000 activists and displayed an image of Republican unity despite the previous year’s turmoil in Washington, with Trump pulling strings from his Mar-a-Lago location in Florida as Congress attempted to avoid a government closure heading into the Christmas vacation. 0: 43
Trump won’t say whether his meeting with the president of Panama is under investigation. Republicans with narrow control of the House and Senate, budget hawks defeated Trump’s request to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, which would have prevented some fresh rounds of the same fight after he took office on January 20, 2025. There was no shutdown, and the final agreement did not address the issue. Trump, in his remarks in Phoenix, did not mention the congressional drama, though he did reference Musk’s growing power. To suggestions that” President Trump has ceded the presidency to Elon”, Trump made clear,” No, no. That’s not happening”. ” He’s not gonna be president”, Trump said. The president-elect opened the speech by saying that” we want to try to bring everybody together. We’re going to try. We’re going to really give it a shot”. The Panama Canal was next on the list of grievances, some old, some new, and suggested Democrats have “lost their confidence” and are “befuddled” after the election but will eventually” come over our side because we want them.” He bemoaned that his country “foolishly gave it away” and that” we’re being ripped off at the Panama Canal.” The United States built the canal in the early 1900s as it sought ways to facilitate the transit of commercial and military vessels between its coasts. In accordance with a treaty signed in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter, Washington gave control of the waterway to Panama on December 31, 1999. The canal’s locks are rely on reservoirs, and in 2023 Central American droughts severely reduced the number of daily slots for crossing ships. Administrators also raised the fees that are being collected by all shippers for reserving a slot as fewer ships use the canal each day. 2: 01
What Trump is getting wrong about CanadaWith weather returning to normal in the later months of this year, transit on the canal has normalized. However, price increases are anticipated for the upcoming year. Mulino, Panama’s president, has been described as a conservative populist who aligns with Trump on many issues. Panama is a strong U. S. ally and the canal is crucial for its economy, generating about one-fifth of that government’s annual revenue. Trending Now
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Still, Trump said, that, once his second term is underway,” 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 the United States of America, in full, quickly and without question”. ” I’m not going to stand for it”, Trump said. ” So to the officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly” .He did not explain how that would be possible. Mulino released a video a short while after Trump’s speech that stated that “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong” to his country. Mulino responded to the president-elect’s complaints about rising fees for ships crossing the canal without mentioning Trump directly. Mulino claimed that experts determine these costs and supply and demand factors when determining their compliance. ” The tariffs are not set on a whim” Mulino said. He noted that Panama has “on its own initiative” expanded the canal over the years to increase ship traffic, and that rising shipping fees 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” .4: 54
Trump pushes Canada to secure its shared borderThe canal aside, Trump’s appearance at Turning Point’s annual gathering affirmed the growing influence the group and its founder, Charlie Kirk, have had in the conservative movement. Kirk’s organization hired thousands of field organizers across presidential battlegrounds, assisting Trump in gaining significant support from infrequent voters and other demographics that have been more Democratic in recent years, such as younger voters, Black men, and Latino men. ” You had Turning Point’s grassroots armies”, Trump said. ” It’s not my victory, it’s your victory “.Earlier Sunday, Trump said that Stephen Miran, who worked at the Treasury Department in Trump’s first term, was his choice to lead the Council of Economic Advisers. And Anthony Pratt, an Australian billionaire, announced that he would donate$ 1.1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund in addition to the$ 1.4 million he claimed he already gave to the Make America Great Again Inc. super political action committee, making him one of the president-elect’s top donors. Pratt is the chairman of Pratt Industries, which makes new cardboard from recycled paper and boxes as a raw material. Weissert reported from West Palm Beach, Florida. Associated Press writer Manuel Rueda in Bogota, Colombia, contributed to this report.
