President-elect Trump on Sunday again took on the matter of the Panama Canal, suggesting to a conference of his supporters that it be returned to U.S. control in a remarkable suggestion to push a sovereign country to cede territory.
Trump vowed swift action over the matter after he takes office in less than one month.
“It was given to Panama and to the people of Panama, but it has provisions, you gotta treat us fairly and they haven’t treated us fairly,” Trump said at Turning Point’s “American Fest”
“If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America in full, quickly and without question,” he added, using similar language to a post he made on Truth Social the day before.
When an audience member yelled out “take it back,” Trump replied: “That’s a good idea.”
The president-elect suggested in his social media post that the U.S. was being ripped off, expressing frustration with fees charged to use the canal.
“The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the U.S.,” Trump said on Truth Social. “This complete ‘rip-off’ of our Country will immediately stop.”
For boats and ships to make use of the canal, Panama charges tariffs. Fees can differ based on size and what the vessels are used for, ranging from $0.50 to $300,000. Control of the canal was handed to Panama by the U.S. in 1999.
Trump accused the Central American country of charging excessive fees for ships that use the canal to cross between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
“Has anyone ever heard of the Panama Canal?” Trump told the crowd at “America Fest.” “Because we’re being ripped off at the Panama Canal like we’re being ripped off everywhere else.”
“The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, highly unfair,” Trump said.
The waterway allows for some 14,000 ships to cross each year and accounts for 2.5 percent of global sea trade, according to Reuters.
It’s not the first time since winning November’s election that Trump has suggested taking over another country’s sovereign territory.
He suggested last week that Canada could become the 51st state after questioning why the U.S. provides its northern neighbor with subsidies.
“No one can answer why we subsidize Canada to the tune of over $100,000,000 a year? Makes no sense!” Trump wrote on Truth Social last week. “Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State.”
Updated 1:50 p.m.
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