US President Donald Trump declared that the United States should never have relinquished control of the Panama Canal, accusing Panama of raising transit fees after assuming control and warning that China is seeking to gain influence over the strategic waterway. Speaking at the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, on Wednesday, Trump criticized the historical decision to transfer control and vowed the US would not allow China to take over.
Trump's Remarks on Panama Canal Fees and Chinese Influence
Trump stated, 'The Panama Canal, so we gave it away. The first thing they did, you know what they did? They raised the prices for the ships by four times, and they didn't lose one ship. And then they raised it again twice, and they didn't lose one ship. All they did was make tremendous amounts of money for years and years. How stupid was that?' He added, 'And now China's trying to take over the Panama Canal, and we're not going to let that happen, okay? And that was not part of the script because I don't really have a script because this thing doesn't work.'
Trump's remarks referenced the US decision to transfer control under the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties, which culminated with Panama assuming full control of the waterway in 1999. The canal, a key global trade route, handles about 6% of world maritime trade, according to the Panama Canal Authority.
Criticism of Supreme Court on Birthright Citizenship
Trump also renewed his criticism of the Supreme Court's handling of birthright citizenship while praising recent rulings that he said restored presidential authority and reinforced a merit-based system. He said, 'We'll take care of the birthright citizenship because that was not meant for rich people from other countries. It was meant for the babies of slaves. If you look at it, it was a month after the Civil War ended that it went through. That's because it was meant for the babies of slaves. It wasn't meant for rich people from China. They came over in Gulfstreams.' He added, 'I believe, no, I know they got it wrong, but that's okay.'
Supreme Court Ruling on Presidential Authority
Trump hailed a recent Supreme Court ruling that he said restored significant authority to the presidency. On June 29, the US Supreme Court significantly expanded President Donald Trump's authority to remove leaders of executive branch agencies, overturning a 91-year-old precedent that limited the President's power to dismiss Senate-confirmed officials. Trump said, 'You know, a little while ago, not in yesterday's decisions where we actually had a good day except for birthright citizenship, we had something that gives back tremendous power to the President of the United States, and we won that, I think, 6 to 3.' He added, 'It was taken away from another Roosevelt. It was taken away from FDR in 1932. For almost a hundred years, that's been up for grabs. It was called the Slaughter case, and a lot of people didn't think it would ever be won. We won it two days ago in the Supreme Court. It gives power back to the president at a time when the president really needs power. It was the most important decision of all of them, I think.'
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