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Trump talks of taking the Panama Canal - and jokes about Elon Musk

A ship passes through the Panama Canal's Culebra Cut, heading northbound for the Caribbean, Dec 30. The Canal, built and operated by the United States, will transfer to Panamanian control at a noon ceremony on December 31.

A ship passes through the Panama Canal's Culebra Cut, heading northbound for the Caribbean, Dec 30. The Canal, built and operated by the United States, will transfer to Panamanian control at a noon ceremony on December 31.

REUTERS
Tasha Kheiriddin
By Tasha KheiriddinDecember 22, 2024
Tasha Kheiriddin
Tasha is a political columnist, commentator, and author based in Toronto, Canada. You can read her in The National Post, on Substack at In My Opinion, and in her most recent book, "The Right Path."
See Full Bio

The President-elect is also making waves for saying that the United States must "retake" control of the Panama Canal. At a rally in Arizona on Sunday, Trump claimed that the canal's 1999 handover to Panama under the terms of an agreement signed by President Jimmy Carter was a "terrible mistake" and argued that the US must act to stop being “ripped off” by Panama and thwart the influence of China in the region.

The Panama Canal, built and managed by the US for decades, handles 2.5% of global ocean traffic, facilitating US imports from Asia and exports of key commodities including LNG.

At the same rally, Trump addressed chatter about Elon Musk usurping the US presidency. Last week, Musk had unsuccessfully attempted to sway Republican members of Congress to oppose US President Joe Biden’s latest spending bill, prompting fears of a government shutdown and accusations that Musk was acting like the President instead of an unelected advisor.

On Sunday, Trump joked that the South African native “is not going to be president. That I can tell you. I’m safe. You know why? He can’t be. He wasn’t born in this country.”

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