“The Panama Canal is critical for defense”—Trump’s Christmas Day Tweet Stirs Debate on China, Trudeau, and Biden
Source: CNN
On Christmas Day, President-elect Donald Trump stirred up a heated debate with a fiery tweet, addressing a range of political issues and targeting several figures, including China, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and U.S. President Joe Biden.
Trump began by focusing on China’s alleged influence in the Panama Canal, claiming that Chinese soldiers were “lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal.” He emphasized the canal’s historical significance, noting the 38,000 workers who died during its construction more than a century ago.
Trump also argued that despite the United States’ massive investment in repairing the canal, it had no say in its operations. However, there is no evidence to support his claim that China controls the Panama Canal.
Despite the lack of proof, many social media users agreed with Trump’s viewpoint, with one user writing, “The Panama Canal is critical for defense and military logistics. For the United States, it allows rapid movement of naval ships between the Atlantic and Pacific, crucial for responding to threats quickly.” Another commenter added, “He has a point.”
The former president then shifted his attention to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, mocking him as “Governor Justin Trudeau of Canada.” Trump criticized Canada’s tax policies, suggesting that if Canada became the 51st U.S. state, its citizens would pay 60% less in taxes. He also claimed businesses would thrive and military protection would significantly improve.
This comment followed a month of tense political exchanges between Trump and Trudeau, culminating in a December meeting at Mar-a-Lago, where the two discussed trade issues. During that meeting, Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian imports if an agreement was not reached.
Trump also reiterated his 2019 proposal to purchase Greenland, extending holiday greetings to the island’s residents and claiming that the U.S. needed Greenland for national security reasons. He insisted that Greenlanders wanted an American presence, a notion that was firmly rejected by Greenland’s leadership when Trump first proposed the idea.
In response, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stated that Denmark would invest a “double-digit billion amount” to maintain a strong presence in the Arctic.
In his final remarks, Trump criticized President Joe Biden for commuting the sentences of 37 federal death-row inmates, instead of offering holiday greetings. Trump said, “Go to hell” to the inmates, before accusing “radical Left lunatics” of obstructing the judicial system, interfering in elections, and targeting patriotic citizens—especially himself.
