President Trump on Monday doubled down on his commitment to expand US territory, promising to take back the Panama Canal.
Trump, re-upping a post-election promise, decried the US’s decision to give the Canal Zone back to the Republic of Panama, accusing the linchpin country between Central and South America of treating America unfairly since then.
“President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs … and gave Teddy Roosevelt the money for many of the great things he did, including the Panama Canal, which has foolishly been given to the country of Panama,” Trump, 78, lamented during his inagural speech in the Capitol Rotunda in DC.
Trump recalled how the US pumped money into the construction of the canal, which former President Jimmy Carter handed back to Panama in 1977, and contended, “We have been treated very badly from this foolish gift that should have never been made.
“Panama’s promise to us has been broken,” Trump said.
“The purpose of our deal and the spirit of our treaty has been totally violated. American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form,” he added, accusing China of “operating the Panama Canal.”
“We didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back.”
Trump also boasted in his speech about his plans to rechristen the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.”
Panama’s president, José Raúl Mulino, quickly fired back at Trump over the canal, as he has during the 47th president’s past public musings.
“I must comprehensively reject the words outlined by President Donald Trump regarding Panama and its Canal in his inaugural address,” Mulino said in a statement, according to a translation.
“There is no presence of any nation in the world that interferes with our administration. The Canal was not a concession from anyone. It was the result of generational struggles,” he said. “We will exercise the right that protects us.”
Trump did not elaborate on how he intends to take back the 51-mile waterway, but he has previously refused to rule out military force. The US previously invaded Panama in 1989 to topple Manuel Noriega.
Mulino, 65, and the Panamanian government have also repeatedly rebuffed Trump’s assertions about China having undue influence over the canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
The new commander-in-chief appears to be fuming over facilities in the canal area operated by Hutchison Whampoa, a Hong Kong port operator, as well as other Chinese infrastructure investments nearby.
There is a neutrality treaty in place between the US and Panama to keep the canal free of discriminatory tolls.
Trump has also previously talked about the US annexing Greenland, which is owned by Denmark, and making Canada a 51st state. None of those two objectives came up during Monday’s feted speech.
But during his address, Trump spoke glowingly about generally expanding US territory, which is currently the third largest nation in the world by land mass.
“The United States will once again consider itself a growing nation, one that increases our wealth, expands our territory, builds our cities, raises our expectations and carries our flag into new and beautiful horizons,” he proclaimed.
“And we will pursue our Manifest Destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars.”
Manifest Destiny refers to the belief in the 1800s that God willed the US to expand its territory across North America.
Trump’s speech during his inauguration, which had gotten pushed indoors due to the frigid weather in Washington, DC, was the longest since at least the 1930s.
