As he went to shake Trump’s hand, the president mentioned that in his experience there were “a lot of crooks” in Panama. De Dianous died in 2021 and never sought to publicize or draw attention to the moment.

In the 1970s, a conservative coalition came together to fight ceding control of the Panama Canal—proving the political potency of the issue.

The protests and subsequent violence were not motivated by Panamanian anger over the existence of genuinely contemptible Jim Crow-style laws within the canal zone. Panama then, as

Treaties ratified by the Senate in 1978 established permanent neutrality, but some Republicans regret that decision.

Donald Trump’s threat to forcibly retake the Panama Canal would target a waterway that generates $2.5 billion in annual revenue for Panama and handles 5% of global maritime trade, raising alarm about potential disruption to international commerce.

EXCLUSIVE: The President-elect recently made comments about the "ridiculous" fees being charged by the Panama Canal for ships to pass through, bemoaning the US "foolishly giving it away."

Trump’s history with Panama may explain his threats about the canal President-elect Donald Trump’s threats over the Panama Canal may be rooted in his decades-long views of the country, forged by his own attempts to do business there.

After President Jimmy Carter's death at the age of 100 on December 29, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump argued that one of Carter's biggest mistakes was giving the Panama Canal to Panama back in 1977.