Overview
- The president repeated his warning about China and the canal during a speech in Bismarck, North Dakota, on Wednesday while speaking at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.
- He used a public exchange with an AI-created Theodore Roosevelt avatar to invoke U.S. responsibility for the canal and to make an emotional case that the United States “gave” up control in 1999.
- Trump said 38,000 people died building the canal and accused Panamanian authorities of sharply raising transit fees after the handover, arguing those moves justify reclaiming U.S. influence.
- China’s diplomatic mission has publicly denied any role in running the canal and criticized U.S. accusations, leaving the dispute at the level of rhetoric and diplomatic friction rather than operational change.
- The canal carries a significant share of global trade and the comments build on a policy stance from 2025 that links historical claims, economic grievances, and security concerns and could heighten U.S.-Panama-China diplomatic tensions.