The president asserted that China was exerting control over the waterway and utilizing it against the United States. He reiterated his dedication to either regaining the canal or negotiating a new agreement after disembarking from Air Force One at Joint Andrews Airbase.
“People are very joyful at this moment. No one expected this to happen. Therefore, they are at home, safe with their families. It was a significant event. We are discussing the Panama Canal while Secretary of State Rubio is in Panama. They have committed a grave error. They violated the contract. They are not allowed to breach the contract. The Panama Canal is managed by China. It was irresponsibly handed over to Panama instead of China. However, they have broken the contract, and we will either annul it or something truly significant will transpire. Regarding other issues, Trump informed reporters, “As you know, we had a very busy week.”
During his visit to Panama over the weekend, Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned the leaders that if they did not take swift action to limit China’s influence over the canal, the United States would respond. Trump subsequently warned reporters that “something very powerful is going to happen” if the US is not granted control of the canal.
Historically, the president has hinted at the possibility of employing economic and military pressure to convince Panama to relinquish control of the canal.
