We're not going to let that happen, okay?
At the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota, Donald Trump returned to a long-held grievance — the 1999 transfer of the Panama Canal to Panamanian sovereignty — and elevated it into a present-tense warning: the United States will not permit China to gain influence over one of the world's most consequential trade arteries. His remarks placed a decades-old diplomatic agreement in the frame of contemporary geopolitical rivalry, suggesting that what was once settled history is, in his view, unfinished business. The canal, through which roughly five percent of global maritime trade flows, has become a symbol of a larger argument about American strategic retreat — and the cost of that retreat.
- Trump declared without qualification that China is attempting to take control of the Panama Canal and that the United States will stop it — a statement that carries the weight of policy, not merely rhetoric.
- His frustration centers on the fee structure that followed the 1999 handover: Panama reportedly quadrupled transit charges and kept raising them, with no loss of shipping traffic, generating vast revenues that Trump sees as a direct consequence of American naivety.
- The remarks signal a broader reassertion of the Monroe Doctrine logic — that Chinese investment and infrastructure influence spreading across Latin America represents a strategic encroachment Washington can no longer afford to ignore.
- Beyond the canal, Trump used the same event to challenge birthright citizenship and celebrate a Supreme Court ruling expanding presidential removal powers, framing each as a restoration of authority that had been unwisely surrendered.
Speaking at the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, Donald Trump returned to one of his most persistent foreign policy grievances: the transfer of the Panama Canal to Panamanian control, finalized in 1999 under the Torrijos-Carter Treaties. He did not frame his objection in terms of sovereignty or principle — he framed it in terms of money lost and leverage surrendered.
In Trump's telling, Panama's first act after assuming control was to quadruple transit fees, and the shipping industry simply absorbed the increase. No vessels rerouted. No traffic fell. Panama raised fees again, and again, with the same result. "All they did was make tremendous amounts of money for years and years," he said. "How stupid was that?"
But the fee grievance was prologue. Trump's sharper warning was directed at China. "China's trying to take over the Panama Canal, and we're not going to let that happen," he declared — categorically, without diplomatic softening. The canal carries roughly five percent of global maritime trade annually, and Washington has grown increasingly uneasy about Chinese investment and diplomatic inroads across Latin America over the past two decades.
Trump also addressed birthright citizenship, arguing the Fourteenth Amendment was intended for the children of formerly enslaved people, not as a pathway for the children of wealthy foreign nationals. And he praised a recent 6-to-3 Supreme Court ruling expanding the president's power to remove executive agency heads, calling it perhaps the most significant decision of the term.
The canal, however, was the event's gravitational center — a symbol, in Trump's framing, of a pattern of poor American bargains that must now be reversed. Whether his warning about China signals a concrete policy shift or remains a rhetorical posture is unclear. What is clear is the message: American passivity over the canal, as Trump sees it, is over.
At the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, Donald Trump took aim at one of the most consequential decisions in modern American foreign policy: the 1977 agreement that handed control of the Panama Canal to Panama itself. Standing before the crowd on Wednesday, he did not mince words about what he saw as a catastrophic blunder.
The canal's handover, finalized in 1999 under the terms of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, has become a focal point of Trump's criticism about American strategic overreach. But his complaint was not primarily about sovereignty or principle—it was about money. According to Trump, Panama's first move after assuming control was to quadruple the transit fees charged to ships passing through the waterway. The remarkable part, in his telling, was that the shipping industry absorbed the increase without complaint. No vessels rerouted. No traffic declined. Panama simply collected four times the revenue, then raised fees again, and again, with the same result each time. "All they did was make tremendous amounts of money for years and years," Trump said, his frustration evident. "How stupid was that?"
But the fee structure, while a source of grievance, was not his primary concern. Trump pivoted quickly to what he framed as the real threat: China's growing influence over the canal. "China's trying to take over the Panama Canal, and we're not going to let that happen, okay?" he declared. The statement was categorical. There was no hedging, no diplomatic language. It was a direct assertion that preventing Chinese control of this critical chokepoint in global trade was now a matter of American resolve.
The Panama Canal remains one of the world's most strategically vital pieces of infrastructure. Roughly 5 percent of global maritime trade passes through it annually. For the United States, which has long viewed the Western Hemisphere as its sphere of influence, the prospect of a rival power gaining leverage over such a gateway is a serious concern. Trump's warning reflected a broader anxiety in Washington about Chinese expansion in Latin America—through investment, infrastructure projects, and diplomatic relationships that have grown steadily over the past two decades.
Trump's remarks at the library event also touched on other constitutional and judicial matters. He renewed his criticism of birthright citizenship, the constitutional provision that grants citizenship to anyone born on American soil. Trump argued that the framers of the Fourteenth Amendment, which enshrines this right, intended it to protect the children of formerly enslaved people in the aftermath of the Civil War, not to serve as a pathway to citizenship for children of wealthy foreigners. "We'll take care of the birthright citizenship because that was not meant for rich people from other countries," he said. He suggested the Supreme Court had misinterpreted the provision, though he did not elaborate on what specific action he might take.
He also praised a recent Supreme Court decision that expanded presidential power to remove leaders of executive branch agencies without cause. Trump described this ruling, which he said came down 6-to-3, as perhaps the most significant of the recent term. "It gives power back to the president at a time when the president really needs power," he said, framing it as a restoration of executive authority that had been constrained by previous interpretations of law.
The canal dispute, however, remained the centerpiece of his remarks. It encapsulated a view of American foreign policy that Trump has long held: that the United States made poor bargains in the past, gave away assets of tremendous value, and must now reassert control over strategic interests. Whether his warning about China represents a shift in policy toward Panama, or merely a rhetorical stance, remains to be seen. But the message was unmistakable: the era of American passivity over the canal is, in Trump's view, over.
Notable Quotes
They raised the prices for the ships by four times, and they didn't lose one ship. All they did was make tremendous amounts of money for years and years. How stupid was that?— Trump, speaking at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
China's trying to take over the Panama Canal, and we're not going to let that happen, okay?— Trump
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
When Trump says China is trying to take over the canal, what does that actually mean? Is there a specific threat, or is this more about influence?
It's both. China has invested heavily in ports and infrastructure across Latin America. They don't need to "take over" the canal militarily—they gain leverage through economic ties, debt relationships, and strategic partnerships. The concern is that if China has too much say in how the canal operates, it could affect American shipping, military movements, and trade.
But Panama has been running the canal for over 25 years now. Why is this suddenly a crisis?
It's not sudden for Trump. He's been critical of the handover since the 1970s. But the timing matters—China's presence in the region has grown significantly, and Panama has deepened ties with Beijing. That's what's triggering the alarm now.
Trump seems angry about the fee increases. Is that the real issue, or is it cover for something else?
The fees are real—Panama did raise them substantially. But for Trump, it's a symbol of a bad deal. He sees it as proof that giving away the canal was foolish. The China angle is the geopolitical concern; the fees are the evidence of poor judgment.
What would preventing China from taking over actually look like in practice?
That's unclear. It could mean diplomatic pressure on Panama, economic incentives to keep Chinese involvement limited, or military posturing. Trump didn't specify. But the statement itself—the vow—is meant to signal that this is now a priority.
Does Panama have a say in any of this?
Technically, yes—they control the canal. But Panama is a small country with limited resources. If the United States decides to make this an issue, Panama has limited leverage. That's the uncomfortable reality beneath Trump's rhetoric.