Panama Canal - Trump
The strategic importance of the Panama Canal lies in its pivotal role as a vital sea passage linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, making it a major passage for American goods and military movement. There are also growing American concerns about Chinese influence over global ports, especially those close to the canal, which increases US concern about the impact on its military operations in the event of a national crisis or conflicts related to its national security, such as the conflict over Taiwan.
The Panama Canal and its control have long served as a touchstone issue for the American right wing, symbolizing debates over sovereignty, national pride, and U.S. global dominance. Assistant Chief of Staff for Carter George D. Moffett’s monograph characterized the polar position of policymakers on the Canal as caught between “the growing international pressure to end the last vestige of outright American imperialism in the Western Hemisphere and the opposition of conservative groups at home for whom perpetuation of treaty rights in Panama was a sine qua non… of sustaining American predominance in world affairs” in the post-Vietnam era.
Ronald Reagan opposed the Panama Canal treaties during his political career. It became a defining issue in Reagan’s rise to national prominence. Specifically, Reagan was a strong critic of the Panama Canal Treaties of 1977, also known as the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, which were negotiated and signed by U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Panama’s leader, Omar Torrijos. These treaties outlined the transfer of control of the Panama Canal from the United States to Panama by the end of 1999. For many conservatives, the transfer of the canal became a broader symbol of what they viewed as the decline of U.S. global leadership and liberal weakness under Jimmy Carter’s presidency. The issue remained a symbolic grievance in conservative rhetoric, highlighting themes of lost sovereignty, weak leadership, and the perceived risks of globalism.
Donald Trump on 21 December 2024 expressed frustration with fees charged for the use of the Panama Canal via Truth Social, asserting that he would stipulate that oversight of the canal return to the U.S. when he comes back into the White House if that is not changed. “The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the U.S.,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This complete ‘rip-off’ of our Country will immediately stop.”
The following day, at an event for conservative group Turning Point USA, Trump said the canal “was given to Panama and to the people of Panama, but it has provisions, you gotta treat us fairly and they haven’t treated us fairly,”
“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,” he added.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino fired back at Trump in a video statement. “As president, I want to express clearly that every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent zone belongs to Panama, and will continue to do so,” Mulino said. “The sovereignty and independence of our country are not negotiable.”
Trump posted a long post on the social platform Truth Social on 21 December 2024: "The Panama Canal plays a key role in the U.S. economy and national security and is therefore considered an important national asset of the United States. A safe Panama Canal is vital to U.S. commerce and the rapid deployment of the Navy from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and greatly shortens transportation time to U.S. ports. The United States is the largest user of the canal, with more than 70% of transit cargo coming from or heading to U.S. ports." The letter concluded: "Our navy and commerce have been treated very unfairly and unreasonably. The fees Panama is charging are ridiculous, especially when the United States has been so generous to Panama. This complete 'exploitation' of our country will cease immediately."
In another post earlier, Trump said: "It has always been clear that the safe, efficient and reliable operation of the Panama Canal is in the vital interests of the United States. We will never let it fall into the wrong hands! This is not for the benefit of others, but simply a symbol of our cooperation with Panama. If the moral and legal principles of this generous donation are not followed, then there will be no doubt that we will demand the full and unconditional return of the Panama Canal to us. Panamanian officials, please act accordingly!"
Former US Ambassador to Panama John Feeley, who served under Trump, called the Republican’s desire for control of the canal long-standing. “The tiger doesn’t change its stripes. He has experience with these kinds of ideas — they don’t just come out of nowhere. And Donald Trump thrives on chaos. He likes to be the agent of chaos. He believes that this destructive approach to international affairs makes him and the United States strong,” the diplomat said.
On 22 December 2024, former U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz wrote on social media about Hutchison Whampoa's operation of the Panama terminal: "We are taking back the Panama Canal not from Panama, but from China."
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