The Donald Trump Thread, aka How Stupid IS He?

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Trump demands return of Panama Canal if rates aren't cut​


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A ship passes through the Panama Canal. Photo: Martin Bernetti/AFP via Getty Images

President-elect Trump demanded Panamanian authorities either lower fees for U.S. ships to transit the Panama Canal, or return its control to the United States.
Why it matters: The U.S. ceded one of the world's most crucial pieces of infrastructure in 1999, and China has become increasingly influential in its operations since.

Catch up quick: Trump, in a lengthy series of Saturday evening posts to Truth Social, said American naval and commercial ships were being treated in an "unfair and injudicious way."
  • Trump blasted past administrations for returning the canal to Panama's control, which he called a "token of cooperation."
  • "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," Trump said.
The other side: Panama's president, Jose Raúl Mulino, posted a video on social media Sunday night rejecting Trump's demands.
  • "The sovereignty and independence of our country are not negotiable," Mulino said.
  • "Our canal has the mission to serve humanity and its commerce," Mulino added. "That is one of the greatest values that the Panamanians offer to the world."
The intrigue: Trump quoted Mulino's response on Truth Social and said "We'll see about that!"
  • He subsequently posted a picture of the American flag flying over the canal and the message "Welcome to the United States Canal!"
Context: Panama granted the U.S. the right to build the canal and control the land on either side in 1904.
  • In 1977 President Jimmy Carter signed a treaty that returned the canal to full Panamanian control by the end of 1999 in exchange for its permanent neutrality.
  • The canal has long been viewed as a tool of colonialism and colonial control. Panama sees the canal today as a key factor in its self -determination and national interest amid a changing global economy.
By the numbers: About 10,000 ships a year transit the canal, though in recent times severe drought has limited capacity and helped push transit rates higher.
  • The International Trade Administration estimates more than 70% of all ships transiting the canal are going to or from a U.S. port.
  • About 2.5% of all global maritime trade passes through the canal, per McKinsey.
Zoom out: China has invested heavily in operations in the Canal Zone in recent years, raising concerns about the zone's neutrality.
  • In 2021 the Center for Strategic and International Studies warned a "key decision point" was coming for U.S. interests in the region, given China's expansion.
  • The U.S. ambassador reportedly cautioned last year about the situation not escalating to where Panama has to choose between the U.S. and China.
What they're saying: Panamanian politicians blasted Trump's statement.
  • "This young Panamanian independent deputy will defend his country with his life if necessary," National Assembly member Manuel Alberto Samaniego Rodriguez posted on X, calling Trump's remarks "regrettable."
Trump, speaking Sunday at the Turning Point Action Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, called Panama's fees "ridiculous" and "highly unfair."
  • "The United States has a big and vested interest in the secure, efficient and reliable operation of the Panama Canal," he said.
  • It's falling into the wrong hands — it was not given for the benefit of others," Trump continued. "It was given with provisions, you have to treat us fairly and you are not treating us fairly."
 
Click to expand...
The American press has just recounted what former President Jimmy Carter said to Donald Trump during his recent interview about China.

"You're worried that China is getting ahead of us, and I agree with you. But do you know why China is getting ahead of us? I normalized diplomatic relations with Beijing in 1979. Since then, do you know how many times China has gone to war with anyone? Not once, even though we're constantly at war.

The United States is the most warlike nation in the history of the world because it wants to impose states that respond to our government and American values throughout the West, and to control companies that own energy resources in other countries." China, for its part, invests its resources in projects such as railways, infrastructure, intercontinental and transoceanic bullet trains, 6G technology, robotic intelligence, universities, hospitals, ports, buildings, and high-speed trains instead of using them for military spending.

"How many kilometers of high-speed trains do we have in this country?

We wasted $300 billion in military spending to subjugate countries that sought to escape our hegemony.

China hasn't wasted a penny on war, and that's why it surpasses us in almost every area. And if we had spent $300 billion to install infrastructure, robots, and public health in the United States, we would have high-speed transoceanic bullet trains." We would have bridges that don't collapse, free healthcare for Americans, and thousands of Americans who wouldn't be infected with COVID-19 more than any other country in the world.

We would have roads that hold up properly. Our education system would be as good as South Korea's or Shanghai's." - Jimmy Carter.
 
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