On Tuesday evening, President Donald Trump gave an update on his plan to reclaim the Panama Canal during the next four years.
Trump did this during his joint address to Congress.
“We will create a new office of ship building in the White House and offer special tax incentives to bring this industry home to America where it belongs. We used to make so many ships….we’re going to make them very fast, very soon,” Trump began by saying.
“To further enhance our national security, my administration will be reclaiming the Panama Canal. We’ve already started doing it,” Trump explained, adding that “a large American company” announced that they acquired both ports around the Panama Canal.
“The Panama Canal was built for Americans by Americans, not for others. But, others could use it,” he said. "We're taking it back."
Trump added that tens of thousands of Americans died creating the canal.
“It was built at a tremendous cost of American blood…they died of malaria, they died of snake bites and mosquitos…they paid them very highly to go there, knowing there was a 25 percent chance that they would die,” he said.
“It was given away by the Carter administration for $1. But, that agreement has been violated very severely. We didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama and we’re taking it back,” he vowed.
🚨 BREAKING: Trump announces he is creating the Office of Shipbuilding in the White House, will create tax incentives to bring the industry back to the USA.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 5, 2025
Trump also says he is reclaiming the Panama Canal.
"The canal was built for Americans by Americans."
"We're taking it… pic.twitter.com/pcnPC1kYhD
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