Trump Doubles Down On His Threat to Take Back the Panama Canal During Wild TPUSA Speech: ‘We’re Being Ripped Off Everywhere!’
President-elect Donald Trump doubled down on a threat to seize the Panama Canal from the Panamanian government on Sunday at a conference in Arizona.
Saturday night, Trump posted on social media that he would not tolerate new fees Panama is charging ships to pass through the US-built waterway. Former President Jimmy Carter signed treaties during his term to hand over the canal, which the country honored two decades later.
Trump blasted Carter and, while addressing fees for using the canal, wrote he would “demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question. To the Officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly!”
The president-elect was addressing Turning Point USA’s AmFest 2024 conference Sunday in Phoenix when he doubled down on the threat to take the canal back. Trump said:
The Panama Canal is considered a vital national asset for the United States of America due to its critical role American economy, the whole world economy, and also national security. The Panama Canal. Has anyone ever heard of the Panama Canal? Because we’re being ripped off at the Panama Canal like we’re being ripped off everywhere else. A secure —
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— A secure Panama Canal is crucial for U.S. commerce and rapid deployment of the Navy from the Atlantic all the way to the Pacific — It’s an incredible thing — And drastically cut shipping times down to US ports by days and even weeks. The United States is the number one user of the Panama Canal, with over 72% of all transits heading to or from US ports. Think of that. So we built it. We’re the ones that use it. They gave it away. Considered one of the world really one of the one of the great wonders of the world.The Panama Canal opened for business 110 years ago and was built at a huge cost to the United States. And it really is big when you consider the lives and the treasure the equivalent of $1.2 trillion today.
Watch above via Fox News.
