Trump: ‘We’re Gonna Take’ Panama Canal Back Or ‘Something Very Powerful Will Happen’
President Donald Trump has declared that the United States will reclaim the Panama Canal or that “something very powerful is going to happen.”
Speaking after disembarking Air Force One at Joint Andrews Airbase, Trump reaffirmed his commitment to regaining control of the canal or negotiating a new agreement. He emphasized that China is currently in control of the waterway and is leveraging it against the United States.
“Very happy people right now. Nobody thought that was going to happen. So they are home, they’re safe with their families. That was a big one. Secretary of State Rubio is in Panama right now, and we’re talking about the Panama Canal. What they’ve done is terrible. They violated the agreement. They’re not allowed to violate the agreement. China is running the Panama Canal. It was not given to China, it was given to Panama, foolishly. But they violated the agreement and we’re going to take it back or something very powerful is going to happen. And as far as other things are concerned, as you know, we had a very busy week,” Trump told reporters.
Over the weekend, Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to Panama, where he warned its leadership that the United States would retaliate if immediate measures were not taken to curb China’s influence over the canal. Shortly after, Trump reiterated that if control is not restored to the United States, “something very powerful is going to happen.”
Previously, Trump has suggested that military or economic pressure could be employed to ensure Panama relinquishes control of the canal.
“Secretary of State Rubio is in Panama — Panama right now. And we’re talking about the Panama Canal. What they’ve done is terrible. They violated the agreement. They are not allowed to violate the agreement. China is running the Panama Canal. That was not given to China. That was given to Panama, foolishly. But they violated the agreement. And we’re going to take it back or something very powerful is going to happen,” Trump stated.
Last week, Rubio made headlines by commenting on Trump’s ambition for the United States to purchase Greenland.
During an interview with conservative host Megyn Kelly, she inquired: “How does Greenland fit into all of this?”
“Well, the Arctic, which has gotten very little attention, but the Arctic circle and the Arctic region is going to become critical for shipping lanes. For how do you get some of this energy that’s going to be produced under President Trump? These energies rely on shipping lanes. The Arctic has some of the most valuable shipping lanes in the world. As some of the ice is melting, there’s become more and more navigable. We need to be able to defend that,” Rubio explained.
He continued, “So if you project what the Chinese have done, it is just a matter of time before — because they are not an Arctic power. They do not have an Arctic presence. So they need to be able to have somewhere that they can stage from. And it is completely realistic to believe that the Chinese will eventually, maybe in the short-term, try to do in Greenland what they have done at the Panama Canal and in other places. And that is install facilities that give them access to the Arctic with the cover of a Chinese company, but that in reality serve a dual purpose.”
Rubio elaborated, “That in a moment of conflict, they could send naval vessels to that facility and operate from there. And that is completely unacceptable to the national security of the world and to the security of the world and the national security of the United States. So the question becomes, if the Chinese begin to threaten Greenland, do we really trust that that is not a place where those deals are going to be made? Do we really trust that that is not a place where they would not intervene, maybe by force?”
“I think that’s been the president’s point. And that is that Denmark can’t stop them. They would rely on the United States to do so. And so his point is, if the United States is on the hook to provide — as we are now, we have a defense agreement with them — to protect Greenland if it comes under assault, if we’re already on the hook for having to do that, then we might as well have more control over what happens there. And so I know it’s a delicate topic for Denmark, but it’s, again, a national interest item for the United States,” Rubio asserted.
Kelly followed up, saying: “So there was a con — a conference call between President Trump and the Danish prime minister. Apparently, it didn’t go very well. Reportedly involved some sort of a meltdown on the prime minister’s part. They don’t want to give it up. So what does that — what options does that leave us? Because President Trump did not rule out economic or potentially military use.”
“Well, I think President Trump’s, what he has said publicly is he wants to buy it. He wants to pay for it. And how we worked on something like that, how something like that is approached, obviously, is probably done better in the appropriate forms. A lot of this stuff is done publicly, and it’s not helpful because it puts the other side in a tough spot domestically. So those conversations are going to happen, but this is not a joke. Like, what he is saying is — is pretty accurate. I mean, people have been talking about it for years. We do have — this is not about acquiring land for the purpose of acquiring land, this is in our national interest, and it needs to be solved. President Trump’s put out there what he intends to do, which is to purchase it. I wasn’t privy to that phone call, but I imagine the phone call went the way a lot of these phone calls go, and that is he just speaks bluntly and frankly with people. And — and ultimately, I think diplomacy, in many cases, works better when you’re straightforward as opposed to using platitudes and — and language that translates to nothing,” Rubio remarked.