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President Donald Trump called for the free passage of American military and commercial ships through the Panama Canal and the Suez Canal on Saturday.
The president shared the words in a Truth Social post, referring the matter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“American Ships, both Military and Commercial, should be allowed to travel, free of charge, through the Panama and Suez Canals!” Trump wrote.
“Those Canals would not exist without the United States of America. I’ve asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to immediately take care of, and memorialize, this situation!” he continued.
Trump has repeatedly spoken out about the U.S. retaking control of the Panama Canal, including during a March speech in Washington, D.C.
“To further enhance our national security, my administration will be reclaiming the Panama Canal, and we’ve already started doing it,” Trump stated.
“Just today, a large American company announced they are buying both ports around the Panama Canal and lots of other things having to do with the Panama Canal and a couple of other canals. The Panama Canal was built by Americans for Americans, not for others. But others could use it,” he continued.
The company Trump referred to was BlackRock, which announced that it was buying majority stakes in ports on both sides of the canal for $22.8 billion. The United States built the Panama Canal and controlled it until 1999.
In a January survey, over two-thirds of GOP voters supported Trump’s interest in America taking over Greenland and the Panama Canal, according to a Rasmussen Reports survey.
A total of 73 percent of Republicans supported U.S. control of the Panama Canal, with 51 percent strongly supporting the action. In contrast, only 22 percent of Democrats supported American control of the Panama Canal.
The addition of the Suez Canal was new for Trump. The manmade waterway connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, allowing navigation through the Middle East.
The Suez Canal was completed in 1859 by the Suez Canal Company, led by French diplomat Ferdinand De Lesseps. Trump’s call for free passage likely refers to American military efforts to provide safe passage for ships through the strategic waterway.