Foreign policy · 2025-01-20
The Panama Canal was given away with no continuing U.S. treaty rights
Misleading
Trump portrayed the transfer of the canal to Panama as a foolish gift that left the United States without meaningful rights.
What the evidence shows
The 1977 treaties established the transfer and continuing neutrality provisions, including expedited passage for U.S. government vessels; the transfer was not an unconditional informal gift.
What happened next
Review against newer records as appropriate.
Assessment notes
Editorial paraphrase, not verbatim. Verdict describes the documented claim in the context of the linked analysis.