Trump hints he may demand Panama Canal be returned to U.S.

[Swede]

He really, really wants to destroy the US economy, doesn't he?


President-elect Donald Trump said late Saturday that he may demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States.

The canal, which cuts through the Isthmus of Panama to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, was constructed by the United States beginning in 1904 after it supported Panama's 1903 independence from Colombia and negotiated for control of the canal zone and providing a needed shipping route without having to circumnavigate South America.


https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2024/12/22/trump-hints-return-panama-canal-us/4801734879654/

[Diamond_Dog]

1. Like he can just demand it back and they'll hand it right over?

[Oneear]

2. Donald J. Trump Must be Drinking from the lead Cup

The Panama Canal is unable to float Boats due to Climate Change I Guess he did not read the Memo

[brush]

6. Check your sources. It's still operating.

[JHB]

19. The post you're replying to has probably garbled the actual situation. There's a water management issue involved.

Panama has had rainfall shortages, depleting the lake that serves as the reservoir for the canal's locks. Sometimes that means limiting the number of ships that pass through in order to conserve the lake water, causing shipping traffic jams.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2024/10/07/heat-and-drought-imperil-the-panama-canal-and-adjoining-rainforests/

[VGNonly]

24. 52,000,000 gallons of water

is needed for one single passage through the locks.

[spapeggy]

3. Trump demands Egypt turn over Pyramids of Giza

Or else!

[anciano]

5. Welcome to DU!

[spapeggy]

8. Thanks!

[Irish_Dem]

4. Who is giving Trump these ideas?

He has no idea where the Panama Canal is located.

And never would have thought of stealing it without some prompting.

[Maeve]

10. And there were allegations that they didn't pay all their taxes

Another grudge story

[Irish_Dem]

14. Very interesting, thank you.

So he is going to follow the route of his business ventures.
Now that he is POUTUS he can monetize everything.

[wnylib]

13. This is another case of Trump seeking retaliation over a past grudge.

Last edited Sun Dec 22, 2024, 06:12 PM - Edit history (1)

His hotel lease operation in Panama was taken over by another company which removed the Trump name from it. Trump was accused of tax evasion in Panama regarding his earnings from the hotel lease.

So now he is using the excuse that the canal fees are too high and Panama must reduce them or face a takeover. All smoke and mirrors to cover up his revenge motive.

[Irish_Dem]

15. Revenge and profit.

He can act out his hatred and anger and probably make some money in the process.

[EnergizedLib]

7. Who is the incoming Vice President to make these demands?

Did Elon sign off on giving the soon-to-be Figurehead-In-Chief making these demands?

[Ping Tung]

11. The Art of the Deal. Aka: Criminal extortion.

History contains little beyond a list of people who have accommodated themselves with other people's property. Voltaire

[Johonny]

12. Trump going full Putin. He is going to invade

A country

[Cartoonist]

16. Putin wants Alaska back.

After Trump gives him Ukraine.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

17. Trump Companies Accused of Tax Evasion in Panama

This is a typical trump stunt. Panama dared to enforce the law against this asshole and now trump wants to go to war.

Link to tweet

https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-companies-accused-tax-evasion-panama

The owners of a 70-story Panama City hotel tower formerly managed by President Donald Trump’s companies are accusing them of stiffing the Panamanian government.

In a legal filing Monday in an ongoing lawsuit in Manhattan federal court, private equity manager Orestes Fintiklis and the company he leads, Ithaca Capital Partners, claimed that two Trump companies failed to pay Panamanian taxes equal to 12.5% of the management fees they drew from the hotel.

The Trump entities were allegedly supposed to withhold those fees in advance and pay them to the government regardless of whether the property was profitable or not. Instead, the Trump companies simply kept the money, the suit claims, “thus intentionally evading taxes.” That and other financial irregularities exposed Fintiklis and the companies he represents “to millions of dollars in liability,” according to the suit, which also claims Trump companies sought to cover up their actions. The filing does not say whether a tax penalty has been levied by Panamanian authorities.......

Trump’s company tried unsuccessfully to convince Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela to intervene on Trump’s behalf. When Fintiklis’ group eventually took control, it found walls had been hastily built to obstruct access to certain areas — one was in the middle of a hallway, another in front of an elevator bank — including inner offices. Trump employees also shredded hotel documents, Fintiklis’ group alleged.

[VGNonly]

25. Rump Ocean Club....

[Blue_Tires]

18. As others have already said...

This is a distraction, plain and simple... Ten days from now Donnie will deny he ever said anything about the canal and the media will just go along with it...

ANY TIME you see some outrageous shit like this, ask yourselves "What else is happening that the Musk-Trump regime really doesn't want me paying attention to right now??"

[sakabatou]

20. This is probably nothing more than rage-bait

[Red Mountain]

21. Cool, bro

His plan for cheaper groceries, gas and a better replacement for Obamacare must be finished.

Moving on to the t-crossing and i-dotting.

[roamer65]

22. Panama could pull a "Suez" on the canal.

A few ships sunk at right points would render it useless for years.

[UTUSN]

23. Like he will hand over Ukraine and Taiwan.

[Hekate]

26. Mango Mussolini is such a troll

Look over there!

[OAITW r.2.0]

27. Blow it out your ass. But I'll bet DJT has a profit angle by focusing on this.