PHOENIX (AP) – Donald Trump suggested Sunday that a new administration could try to take back control of the Panama Canal, which the United States “foolishly” ceded to a Central American ally, adding He claimed that shippers were being charged “ridiculous” fees to pass through the border. A shipping route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Panama’s conservative president, José Raul Mulino, who was elected in May on a pro-business platform, flatly rejected the idea as an affront to the country’s sovereignty.
The Republican president-elect’s comments came during his first large rally since winning the White House on Nov. 5. The president also enjoyed his return to power, cheered by a large conservative audience. It was a show of party unity that was at odds with the just-concluded budget fight on Capitol Hill, where some Republicans openly defied the demands of their leaders.
Addressing supporters at Turning Point USA’s America Fest in Arizona, President Trump said his “Dream Team Cabinet” would deliver a booming economy, close U.S. borders and quickly end wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. I vowed to solve it.
“We can proudly proclaim that America’s Golden Age has arrived,” President Trump said. “We now have a spirit that we didn’t have a while ago.”
His appearance capped a four-day pep rally that drew more than 20,000 activists and saw President Trump pull strings from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida as Congress tries to avoid forming a government. , projected an image of Republican unity despite last week’s turmoil in Washington. Shutdown for the holidays.
House Republicans fast-tracked a bipartisan agreement after President Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk voiced their opposition on social media. Budget hawks ignored President Trump’s calls to raise the debt ceiling. Doing so would avoid a repeat of the same kind of conflict that will occur after Trump takes office on January 20, with Republicans holding slim majorities in both houses of Congress. The final agreement did not address this issue and no closure occurred.
In his remarks in Phoenix, President Trump mentioned Musk’s growing powers but did not address the drama in Congress. When it was pointed out that “President Trump handed over the presidency to Elon,” Trump clarified, “No, no. He handed over the presidency to Elon.” That’s not happening. ”
“He’s not going to be president,” Trump said.
The president-elect began his speech by saying: i will try. We really try. He went on to suggest that Democrats have “lost confidence” and are “embarrassed” after the election, but ultimately “will come to our side because they want to support the Democratic Party.”
At the top of the list of grievances, some old and some new, was the Panama Canal.
“We are being ripped off by the Panama Canal,” he said, lamenting that his country “foolishly abandoned the canal.”
The United States built the canal in the early 1900s, looking for a way to ease the passage of commercial and military vessels between coasts. Under a treaty signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1977, Washington relinquished control of the waterway to Panama on December 31, 1999.
The canal relies on reservoirs to operate its locks and was significantly affected by the 2023 Central American drought, which forced drastic reductions in daily vessel traffic. With fewer ships using the canal by the day, administrators have also increased the fees charged to all shippers to reserve a slot.
Later this year, the weather returned to normal and traffic on the canal normalized. However, prices are expected to rise again next year.
Panamanian President Murino is said to be a conservative populist who aligns with President Trump on many issues. Panama is a strong ally of the United States, and the canal is vital to the Panamanian economy, generating about one-fifth of the Panamanian government’s annual revenue.
Still, President Trump said that once his second term begins, “If the moral and legal principles of this generous donation are not upheld, we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States.” said. , completely, quickly, and without question. ”
“I’m not going to support that,” President Trump said. “Panamanian authorities, please guide us in this direction.”
He did not explain how that was possible.
Immediately after Trump’s speech, Mulino released a video declaring that “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will always belong to his country.”
Without mentioning Trump by name, Mulino referred to Trump’s complaints about increased tolls for ships crossing the canal, saying tolls are set by experts, taking into account operating costs and supply and demand factors. .
“Tariffs are not set on a whim,” Mulino said. He noted that Panama has “voluntarily” expanded the canal over the years to increase shipping traffic, adding that increased shipping fees would help pay for the improvements.
“Panamanians may have different views on many issues,” Mulino said. “But when it comes to our canal and our sovereignty, we all unite under the Panamanian flag.”
Canal aside, Mr. Trump’s appearance at Turning Point’s annual gathering underscored the growing influence the group and its founder Charlie Kirk have over the conservative movement. Mr. Kirk’s group employs thousands of field organizers across presidential battlegrounds, helping Mr. Trump reach out to infrequent voters, younger voters, Black men, Latino men, and other groups he has reached in recent decades. It helped make important gains among people who tend to lean toward the Democratic Party.
“There was a grassroots army at the turning point,” Trump said. “It’s not my victory, it’s your victory.”
President Trump announced several new members of his incoming administration on Sunday. The most notable are:
-Stephen Millan worked at the Treasury Department during President Trump’s first term, where he led the Council of Economic Advisers, an executive branch agency tasked with providing objective economic advice to the president.
-Calista Gingrich becomes U.S. ambassador to Switzerland. Gingrich served as the U.S. ambassador to Rome during the Trump administration’s first term. She is married to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Separately, Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt has donated to President Trump’s inaugural fund to supplement the $14 million he said he had already donated to the Make America Great Again super political action committee. announced that it would donate $1.1 million. This made him one of the president-elect’s top donors.
Pratt is chairman of Pratt Industries, which uses recycled paper and boxes as raw materials in the process of manufacturing new cardboard.
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