Trump criticizes Panama Canal handover, warns of Chinese influence

U.S. President Donald Trump used the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota to criticize the transfer of the Panama Canal, calling it a "stupid" decision and asserting that China is attempting to seize control.

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We gave away the Panama Canal. And do you know the first thing they did? They quadrupled the prices for the ships. And they didn't lose a single ship. Then they raised the prices two more times. They still didn't lose a single ship. How stupid it was to give away the canal. And now China is trying to take over the Panama Canal. We will not allow that to happen. Okay?

Trump, who described Roosevelt as an admired figure, stated that the canal, built during Roosevelt's era at the cost of 38,000 American lives due to malaria and other causes, has seen its shipping fees quadrupled since the U.S. handed over control. He vowed, "We will not allow that to happen. Okay?" He linked the canal's control to current geopolitical issues involving Iran and Venezuela.

Drawing a contrast with the current administration, Trump recounted a conversation with the Saudi King who allegedly told him the U.S. under Biden was "like a dead country" and that nations looked to China and others for protection. "Now, you are the most respected country in the world," Trump claimed the King said, adding, "It is now more true than ever. The U.S. is the most respected country in the world."

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The Saudi King told me a year ago, your country was dead during the Biden administration. We had lost hope in you, he said. They were looking to China and other countries for protection. Now, you are the most respected country in the world.

During his remarks, Trump also addressed the issue of birthright citizenship, calling it a policy "not designed for rich people coming from other countries" and suggesting it was exploited by wealthy individuals arriving via private jets. He also touched on falling oil prices, attributing it to record numbers of ships leaving the Strait of Hormuz and declaring, "We have total control over everything. This is the beginning of America's golden age."

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We are going to fix the issue of birthright citizenship. Because it was not designed for rich people coming from other countries.

Prior to his speech, Trump engaged with an AI-powered hologram of Theodore Roosevelt, asking if the Panama Canal was the former president's "greatest achievement."

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You see the fuel prices are falling rapidly. They are falling like a stone, just like I said they would. Because the ships are leaving the Strait of Hormuz, in numbers that nobody has ever seen before. We are breaking records. Oil is falling. I told you it would fall. We have total control over everything. This is the beginning of America's golden age.