Trump’s canal fixation


“Donald Trump has demanded free transit for American commercial and military ships through the Panama and Suez canals, tasking his secretary of state with making progress “immediately”.

 

“Trump has for months been calling for the United States to take control of the Panama canal but his social media post also shifted focus on to the vital Suez route. “American ships, both military and commercial, should be allowed to travel, free of charge, through the Panama and Suez canals!” Trump posted on Saturday.

 

“He claimed both routes would “not exist” without the US and said he had asked his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, to “immediately take care of” the situation.”

The United States had nothing at all to do with the building of the Suez Canal. As for the Panama Canal, tolls are regulated by the Panama Canal Authority, an autonomous governing body overseeing the trade route.

So is this a symptom of Trump dementia? I don’t think so, but I’m not a physician. Rather, I think Trump bleats out this nonsense to control the media cycle and distract from his failures, like his disastrous tariffs and his underwater poll numbers. I’m sure “Little Marco” will know that Trump isn’t serious.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/27/trump-says-us-ships-should-have-free-use-of-panama-and-suez-canals

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