‘Won’t Let China Take Over Panama Canal’: Trump Warns Against Beijing’s Influence

Published 1 July 2026 · india

‘Won’t Let China Take Over Panama Canal’: Trump Warns Against Beijing’s Influence Published By, Last Updated: July 02, 2026, 02:39 IST Trump said the US

‘Won’t Let China Take Over Panama Canal’: Trump Warns Against Beijing’s Influence Published By, Last Updated: July 02, 2026, 02:39 IST Trump said the US will not let China take over the Panama Canal, while criticising its transfer to Panama. US President Donald Trump speaks at Burning Hills Amphitheatre on the day of the dedication of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. (Source: Reuters) United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the country would not allow China to take over the Panama Canal, while criticising the decision to hand control of the strategic waterway to Panama. Speaking at the dedication of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota on Wednesday, Trump said the canal should never have been transferred. Trump said Panama increased transit charges after taking control of the canal. “When we gave the Panama Canal to Panama, first thing they did, they raised the prices for ships by four times, and they didn’t lose one ship. They then raised them again, and they didn’t lose ships.

They made tremendous amounts of money. How stupid was that? We did a good job in Venezuela and we’re doing equally as well with the Islamic Republic of Iran. China is planning to take over the Panama Canal and we won’t let that happen," Trump said. Trump Pays Tribute To Theodore Roosevelt During his address, Trump paid tribute to the 26th US president, Theodore Roosevelt, calling him “very special." “Today, we come to the heartland of America to pay tribute to a man who embodied the heart and soul and fight and spirit of our country as much as anyone who ever lived. He’s a very special man and that’s why I’m here, President Theodore Roosevelt. He loved your community, he loved your state," he said. Trump also said Roosevelt was among the few people he admired. Also Read: Colombia Becomes The Latest To Swing Right: How Latin America’s Political Map Is Changing “I am honouring Theodore Roosevelt — that’s a man I have LONG admired. I don’t admire too many people!" he said.

Thanking the audience, Trump referred to his electoral performance in North Dakota. “I’m back in North Dakota because I’ve won this state with the most votes in the history of the presidency!" Trump also cited Roosevelt’s life as an example of perseverance. “The life of Theodore Roosevelt reminds us that Americans never give up. He never stopped, never quit, never surrendered in pursuit of his dreams," he said. ‘We Will Never Let The US Become A Communist Country’ During the speech, Trump also spoke about communism, saying the United States would not become a communist country. “We’re not going to let communists get in our way. We’re not going to let anyone get in our way, not the communists!" “It’s a very unattractive lot. They’re not going to do it. They’re not doing anything, those people, what they’re doing, so stupid, so stupid," he said. “The biggest threat to our country—including World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor, and September 11th—I think it’s a bigger threat, potentially a bigger threat than all of that, because it’s like a cancer that spreads, and you better stop it fast.