Trump has said repeatedly that he wants to "take back" the Panama canal. Before taking office in January, he said that he would not rule out using economic or military force to regain control over the canal.

President Donald Trump has said U.S. ships, both military and commercial, should be allowed to travel through the Panama Canal and Suez Canal free of charge. "Those Canals would not exist without the United States of America,

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that all U.S. ships should be able to travel through the Panama and Suez canals for free, adding that he has already instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to make it happen.