Trump Demands Oversight of Panama Canal Be Returned to U.S., Calls Fees 'Ridiculous'

President-elect Trump took issue with fees charged to use the Panama Canal, a vital shipping route, on Saturday night, claiming that he will demand oversight of the waterway be given back to the U.S. when he returns to office if it's not changed.

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday night threatened to demand that the U.S. regain control of the Panama Canal if fees charged to use the waterway aren’t changed.

“The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the U.S,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This complete ‘rip-off’ of our Country will immediately stop.”

The U.S. uses the Panama Canal more than any other country. Control of the canal was transferred from the U.S. to the Central American country in 1999 as a result of a 1979 treaty under former President Carter, which Trump said was a foolish decision.

“When President Jimmy Carter foolishly gave it away, for One Dollar, during his term in Office, it was solely for Panama to manage, not China, or anyone else,” he stated. “It was likewise not given for Panama to charge the United States, its Navy, and corporations, doing business within our Country, exorbitant prices and rates of passage.”

Trump, on Saturday, called for a “secure” Panama Canal, underscoring its importance to American national security and the economy.

“The United States has a vested interest in the secure, efficient, and reliable operation of the Panama Canal, and that was always understood. We would and will NEVER let it fall into the wrong hands! It was not given for the benefit of others, but merely as a token of cooperation with us and Panama,” he added, stating that the country is being treated “in a very unfair and injudicious way.”