Trump threatens ‘something very powerful is going to happen’ if Panama doesn’t give back canal – Washington Examiner
President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Panama regarding its control of the Panama Canal, claiming that if the U.S. does not regain control,”something very powerful is going to happen.” Trump accused Panama of violating agreements pertaining to the Canal and suggested military action could be considered, particularly due to China’s alleged influence over it. panama refuted Trump’s claims, stating that while China operates certain ports, it does not control the Canal itself and disputes accusations of overcharging U.S. vessels.
Furthermore, Secretary of State Marco rubio, in a meeting with Panamanian officials, characterized china’s presence as a threat to the Canal and delivered an ultimatum for Panama to reduce this influence. Despite this pressure, President of Panama Jose Raul Mulino asserted that the Canal is operated by Panama and pledged not to renew certain agreements with China while clarifying their stance against Trump’s allegations.
Experts indicated there are limited options for the U.S. to regain control of the Canal aside from military intervention—a scenario complex by the historical agreements (like the Permanent Neutrality Treaty) in place. Simultaneously occurring, the broader context of Trump’s trade policies poses risks of escalating tensions with neighboring countries Mexico and Canada, which could retaliate against proposed tariffs that threaten to inflate prices for American consumers.
Trump threatens ‘something very powerful is going to happen’ if Panama doesn’t give back canal
‘SOMETHING VERY POWERFUL IS GOING TO HAPPEN’: Speaking to reporters on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews last night, President Donald Trump issued another veiled threat to Panama, suggesting military force to reclaim the Panama Canal could be on the table, if it’s not handed over to the United States.
“What they’ve done is terrible. They violated the agreement. They’re not allowed to violate the agreement,” Trump said. “China is running the Panama Canal. It was not given to China. It was given to Panama foolishly, but they violated the agreement, and we’re going to take it back, or something very powerful is going to happen.”
Panama insists that while China operates two ports on either end of the 50-mile canal, it does not operate the canal, and Panama disputes Trump’s complaint that U.S. commercial traffic and warships are overcharged.
Under the 1977 “Permanent Neutrality Treaty,” the U.S. has the right to act if the canal’s operation is threatened due to military conflict — but not to reassert control, Benjamin Gedan, director of the Latin America Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington told the Associated Press. “There’s very little wiggle room, absent a second U.S. invasion of Panama, to retake control of the Panama Canal in practical terms.”
But in Senate testimony last week, Eugene Kontorovich, professor, Scalia Law School, George Mason University, said a review of the history of the treaty’s ratification shows, “it was clear that the treaty was understood as giving both sides separately the right to resort to use armed force to enforce the provisions of the treaty.”
“Of course, armed force should never be the first recourse for any kind of international dispute and should not be arrived at sort of rashly or before negotiations and other kinds of good offices are exhausted,” Kontorovich testified. “But it’s quite clear that the treaty contemplates that as a remedy for violations.”
Panama, it should be noted, abolished its military in 1994, after the U.S. invasion “Operation Just Cause” overthrew the dictatorship of Manuel Noriega in 1989.
TRUMP AGAIN VOWS TO TAKE BACK PANAMA CANAL, SAYS CHINA IS ‘RUNNING’ IT
RUBIO: ‘THIS STATUS QUO IS UNACCEPTABLE’: Trump’s bellicose threats came as Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in the Panama City capital meeting with President Jose Raul Mulino and Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha delivering an ultimatum.
“Rubio informed President Mulino and Minister Martínez-Acha that President Trump has made a preliminary determination that the current position of influence and control of the Chinese Communist Party over the Panama Canal area is a threat to the canal and represents a violation of the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal,” according to State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce. “Secretary Rubio made clear that this status quo is unacceptable and that absent immediate changes, it would require the United States to take measures necessary to protect its rights under the Treaty.”
“There is no doubt that the canal is operated by our country, and it will continue to be so,” Mulino said after the meeting. “I do think there has been a discrepancy in that the president [Trump] has his opinion about the Chinese presence, which will be clarified at the appropriate time.”
Mulino did offer one major concession: His government would not renew a 2017 infrastructure funding agreement under China’s “Belt and Road” program. Beijing uses this program to control foreign nations through what’s known as debt-trap diplomacy.
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HAPPENING TODAY IN WASHINGTON: President Trump said he plans to hold discussions with the leaders of Mexico and Canada this morning to discuss his 25% tariffs that go into effect tomorrow on imports from our two closest neighbors, along with 10% tariffs on Chinese goods, all of which have spooked the financial markets and threaten to fuel inflation domestically.
“I don’t expect anything very dramatic. They owe us a lot of money and I’m sure they’re going to pay,” Trump said last night after Air Force One landed at Andrews. “The United States has been ripped off by virtually every country in the world. We have deficits with almost every country — not every country but almost — and we’re going to change it. It’s been unfair that’s why we owe $36 trillion.”
All three countries have threatened to fight back with retaliatory tariffs, threatening an all-out trade war, which Canada’s President Justin Trudeau said would be a “lose-lose” situation for everyone.
“This is a choice that, yes, will harm Canadians,” Trudeau said in remarks Saturday. “But beyond that, it will have real consequences for you, the American people.
“Tariffs against Canada will put your jobs at risk, potentially shutting down American auto assembly plants and other manufacturing facilities. They will raise costs for you, including food at the grocery stores and gas at the pump. They will impede your access to an affordable supply of vital goods crucial for U.S. security, such as nickel, potash, uranium, steel, and aluminum. They will violate the free trade agreement that the president and I, along with our Mexican partner, negotiated and signed a few years ago,” Trudeau said. “If President Trump wants to usher in a new golden age for the United States, the better path is to partner with Canada, not to punish us.”
HAPPENING TODAY IN BRUSSELS: NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte meets with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at NATO Headquarters today, as he visits Brussels for talks on a U.K.-European Union defense and security partnership. Starmer will reportedly call for Europe to “do more to crush Putin’s war machine” to take advantage of Russia’s weakening economy.
The meetings come as President Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, has told Reuters in an interview that the U.S. wants Ukraine to hold elections, potentially by the end of the year, especially if Kyiv can agree to a truce with Russia in the coming months.
“Most democratic nations have elections in their time of war. I think it is important they do so,” Kellogg said. “I think it is good for democracy. That’s the beauty of a solid democracy. You have more than one person potentially running.”
Rutte and Starmer have a joint news conference scheduled for 12:40 p.m. EST, which will be streamed live on the NATO website.
HAPPENING TODAY ON THE HILL: KEY VOTES: The Senate meets at 3 p.m. and at about 5:30 p.m., the Senate is expected to meet in executive session to consider the nomination of Russell Vought to be director of the Office of Management and Budget.
A vote is also expected to invoke cloture, that is to cut off debate, setting up a final vote on the nomination of Pam Bondi to be attorney general. And Energy Secretary nominee Christopher Wright could get a final vote today.
REPUBLICANS ADVANCE TRUMP BUDGET NOMINEE RUSSELL VOUGHT DESPITE DEMOCRATIC BOYCOTT
GOODBYE BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in his war against diversity polices he says “divide the force,” has decreed that henceforth there will be no more official recognition of the history of black members of the military and their triumphs over the years against racism and discrimination.
In fact all “cultural awareness months” are no longer permitted to be celebrated if it would involve any “official resources, to include man-hours,” and that includes Women’s History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month.
“Efforts to divide the force – to put one group ahead of another – erode camaraderie and threaten mission execution,” Hegseth wrote in his directive titled, “Identity Months Dead at DOD.”
“Installations, units, and offices are encouraged to celebrate the valor and success of military heroes of all races, genders, and backgrounds as we restore our warrior culture and ethos,” Hegseth wrote. “We are proud of our warriors and their history, but we will focus on the character of their service instead of their immutable characteristics.”
HEGSETH ANNOUNCES DEATH OF ‘IDENTITY MONTHS’ AT DOD AS PART OF DEI CRACKDOWN
SIGAR: KEEP $4 BILLION OUT OF THE HANDS OF TALIBAN: In the latest quarterly report of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, which goes out of business next year, the Pentagon watchdog recommend the U.S. keep the assets of the former Afghan government, which has been set aside for humanitarian aid after the Taliban took over in 2021.
“The United States has spent nearly $3.71 billion in Afghanistan since withdrawing from the country in 2021. Most of that money (64.2%) went to UN agencies, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, and the World Bank-administered Afghanistan Resilience Trust Fund,” the report states. “While this assistance may have staved off famine in the face of economic collapse, it has not dissuaded the Taliban from taking U.S. citizens hostage, dismantling the rights of women and girls, censoring the media, allowing the country to become a terrorist safe haven, and targeting former Afghan government officials.”
Assets transferred to a Swiss-based “Fund for the Afghan People” have since grown to $4 billion, and the Taliban is trying to get their hands on the money. “The Taliban want these funds even though they have no legal right to them since they are not recognized by the United States as the government of Afghanistan, are on the U.S. Specially Designated Global Terrorist list, and are under U.S. and U.N. sanctions,” the SIGAR says. “As part of the current review of foreign assistance, the administration and the Congress may want to examine returning these funds to the custody and control of the U.S. government.”
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Trump begins sweeping tariffs against Canada, Mexico, and China
Washington Examiner: Mexico, Canada order retaliatory tariffs on US
Washington Examiner: Trump again vows to take back Panama Canal, says China is ‘running’ it
Washington Examiner: Rubio tells Panama to reduce Chinese influence in canal or face retaliation from Trump administration
Washington Examiner: Vance says tariffs signal US is ‘done being taken advantage of’
Washington Examiner: Eric Schmitt defends Trump’s tariffs: ‘Worked the first time’
Washington Examiner: Hegseth announces death of ‘identity months’ at DOD as part of DEI crackdown
Washington Examiner: NTSB reveals American Airlines pilot may have tried last-minute maneuver to avoid crash
Washington Examiner: Vance defends Trump’s linking of DEI hiring practices to DC plane crash: ‘Direct connection’
Washington Examiner: Army releases identity of third soldier killed in Potomac crash
Washington Examiner: ‘Top-shelf communicator’: Pete Hegseth’s media background on full display during time of crisis
Washington Examiner: Trump envoy meets with Venezuelan President Maduro to discuss deportations
Washington Examiner: Trump announces Venezuela will ‘supply’ illegal immigrants transit out of the US
Washington Examiner: Colombian president urges illegal immigrants to return from US
Washington Examiner: Pentagon upends status quo by removing mainstream media’s dedicated work spaces
Washington Examiner: US military conducts airstrikes against Islamic State operatives in Somalia
Washington Examiner: Kim Jong Un cracks whip on Workers’ Party ‘group drinking spree’
Washington Examiner: Editorial: Trump presses Putin toward peace
Washington Examiner: Tom Rogan Opinion: King Charles’s not-so-astute wokeness below the waves
Washington Examiner: Trump again vows to take back Panama Canal, says China is ‘running’ it
Washington Examiner: Rubio tells Panama to reduce Chinese influence in canal or face retaliation from Trump administration
Washington Examiner: Vance says tariffs signal US is ‘done being taken advantage of’
Washington Examiner: Eric Schmitt defends Trump’s tariffs: ‘Worked the first time’
AP: Pentagon Prepares to Deploy 1,000 More Troops to Bolster Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
Washington Post: DHS to end temporary protection for approximately 350,000 Venezuelans
Reuters: U.S. wants Ukraine to hold elections following a ceasefire, says Trump envoy
AP: Ukrainian troops lose ground with fewer fighters and exposed supply lines
New York Times: Russia, Seeking to Salvage Military Bases, Goes Hat in Hand to Syria
BBC: Ukraine Says North Koreans May Have Pulled Out of Front Line
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Not 10 Feet Tall: Experts Say China’s Military Faces Major Issues
Bloomberg: Downed Black Hawk Was Practicing Secretive Evacuation Plans
Washington Post: Plane extraction from Potomac River to begin on Monday
Defense One: Army Aviation Was Having a Bad Few Years—Even Before Crash
AP: Trump’s aid freeze shocks a Syria camp holding families linked to the Islamic State group
Washington Post: Newly detected near-Earth asteroid has astronomers’ full attention
SpaceNews: Space Companies Can Dock Satellites in Orbit, but Can They Navigate the Pentagon?
19fortyfive.com: F/A-XX: The Navy’s 6th Generation ‘NGAD’ Fighter Is Coming to Aircraft Carriers
19fortyfive.com: The U.S. Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship Is in Big Trouble
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Wargames for a Summer of Major Exercises
The War Zone: Cheap Cruise Missile Program Set to Evolve into Air-To-Air Drone Interceptor
Military Times: Defense Department Dumps Travel Policy for Troops Seeking Abortions
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force: No Increase in Cancer Deaths Among Missile Community, but Study Continues
19fortyfive.com: The Downward Spiral of Russia’s ICBM Force
19fortyfive.com: The F-35 Fighter vs. Everyone: The Winner Is Obvious
19fortyfive.com: “Borderline Atrocious”: Canada’s Military Is Unprepared for a Crisis
Defense Post: Opinion: Elon Musk’s Influence Has No Place in Pentagon Appointments
THE CALENDAR:
MONDAY | FEBRUARY 3
12:40 p.m. EST Brussels, Belgium — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte holds a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after a meeting at NATO Headquarters Livesteam at https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news
9 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “What’s at stake in the U.S.-Germany relationship in 2025,” with Stormy-Annika Mildner, executive director of Aspen Institute Germany; Jan Techau, Eurasia Group director for Europe; and Jorn Fleck, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/whats-at-stake
10 a.m. — Wilson Center Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies virtual discussion: “Donald Trump’s Second Term: Thinking Through the Transition,” with Edward Fishman, senior research scholar at Columbia University; William Ruger, president of the American Institute of Economic Research; Michael Kimmage, director of the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute; and Jennifer Wistrand, deputy director of the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/donald-trumps-second-term
12 p.m. — Washington Institute for Near East Policy virtual forum: “Netanyahu Visits Washington: Implications for Regional Diplomacy and Security,” with former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs Mira Resnick; Amos Harel, Haaretz senior analyst; and David Makovsky, WINEP fellow https://washingtoninstitute-org.zoom.us/webinar/register
12:30 p.m. — Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies virtual discussion: “The Transatlantic Relationship, Ukraine and Europe Security,” with Filippo Andreatta, professor of political science at the University of Bologna; Eugene Finkel, professor of international affairs at Johns Hopkins SAIS Europe; Kadri Lilk, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations Wider Europe Programme; and Nathalie Tocci, director at the Isituto Affari Internazionali https://sais.jhu.edu/campus-events
2 p.m. 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Wilson Center discussion: “Security in Focus: Poland’s EU Presidency and the Transatlantic Alliance in 2025,” with Adam Krzywosadzki, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of the Polish Republic; Jaroslaw Cwiek-Karpowicz, director, Polish Institute of International Affairs; Marcin Terlikowski, head, Polish Institute of International Affairs’ Research Office; Aleksandra Koziol, European security analyst, Polish Institute of International Affairs; Iren Marinova, global fellow, Wilson Center’s Global Europe Program; and Spencer Boyer, partner and practice lead for national security, defense, and aerospace, Albright Stonebridge Group https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/security-focus-polands-eu-presidency
TUESDAY | FEBRUARY 4
11 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “North Korean Troops in Russia: Comrades in Arms or Cannon Fodder?” with Seth Jones, president, CSIS Defense and Security Department; and Sydney Seiler, CSIS Korea chair https://www.csis.org/events/impossible-state-live-podcast
12 p.m. — Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft virtual discussion: “Europe and the Trump Administration,” with former U.K. Ambassador to Moscow Tony Brenton; Pascal Boniface, founding director, French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs; Alexandra Dienes, senior researcher at the Regional Office for Cooperation and Peace in Europe; Rudiger Ludeking, former German diplomat; and Anatol Lieven, director, Quincy Institute’s Eurasia Program https://quincyinst.org/events/europe-and-the-trump-administration
12 p.m. — Wilson Center Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies virtual book discussion: Punishing Putin: Inside the Global Economic War to Bring Down Russia, with author Stephanie Baker, senior writer at Bloomberg News https://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/book-talk-punishing-putin
WEDNESDAY | FEBRUARY 5
10 a.m. 2167 Rayburn — House Transportation and Infrastructure Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee hearing: “America Builds: Maritime Infrastructure.” http://transportation.house.gov
10 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion with former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, with Peter Rough, director, Hudson Center on Europe and Eurasia https://www.hudson.org/events/conversation-former-president-ukraine
10 a.m. — FiscalNote and Oxford Analytica virtual discussion: “The Trumpification of Europe and the Consequences for EU Policy,” with Nicholas Redman, editor in chief and director of analysis at Oxford Analytica; Hartmut Mayer, senior lecturer at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies; and Veronica Anghel, assistant professor at the European University Institute https://pages.fiscalnote.com/Trumpification-of-Europe.html
1:30 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Increased Economic Pressure Will Help the Trump Administration End Russia’s War Against Ukraine,” with former Undersecretary of State James Glassman; Charles King Mallory IV, senior international defense researcher at RAND; and Oleksandr Kalenkov, president, Ukrmetallurgprom Association of Kyiv https://www.hudson.org/events/increased-economic-pressure-will-help
8 p.m. — Jews United for Democracy and Justice virtual discussion: “America’s Continuing Anguish: Russia From Khrushchev to Putin,” with Marvin Kalb, professor emeritus at Harvard University and founder of Harvard University’s Shorenslein Center on the Media, Politics and Public Policy; and Warren Olney, former host and executive producer, podcast “To The Point” https://www.jewsunitedfordemocracy.org/blog/event
THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 6
2:30 p.m. — Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies virtual discussion: “Rockets, Pagers, and Targeted Strikes: Law-of-War Issues in the Israeli-Hezbollah Conflict,” with Peter Berkowitz, senior fellow, Stanford University Hoover Institution and former director of policy planning staff at the State Department; Diane Desierto, professor of law and global affairs faculty director, Notre Dame Law School’s Global Human Rights Clinic; and Daniel West, managing director, SCF Partners https://fedsoc.org/events/rockets-pagers-and-targeted-strikes
FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 7
11 a.m. 1957 E St. NW — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs book discussion: The Art of State Persuasion: China’s Strategic Use of Media in Interstate Disputes, with author Frances Wang, assistant professor of political science at Colgate University https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/book-launch-the-art-of-state-persuasion
TUESDAY | FEBRUARY 11
8 a.m. 2401 M St., NW — George Washington University Project for Media and National Security Defense Writers Group breakfast: “Exclusive, Advance Preview of a Munich Security Conference Report on ‘Unspoken Barriers to Innovation in Defense,’” with Matthew Schlueter, global head of defense and security, Boston Consulting Group By invitation, email: [email protected].
10 a.m. 2154 Rayburn — House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on sanctuary cities policies. http://oversight.house.gov
10 a.m. 310 Cannon — House Homeland Security Committee hearing: “Preparing the Pipeline: Examining the State of America’s Cyber Workforce,” with testimony from Robert Rashotte, vice president of Training Institute and Global Engagement, Fortinet; David Russomanno, executive vice president of academic affairs and provost, University of Memphis; Chris Jones, president and CEO, Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corp; and Max Stier, president and CEO, Partnership for Public Service http://homeland.house.gov
THURSDAY | FEBRUARY 13
TBA Brussels, Belgium — NATO Defence Ministers meet for two days at NATO Headquarters in Brussels https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news
FRIDAY | FEBRUARY 14
All Day Hotel Bayerischer Hof, Munich, Germany — The 61st Munich Security Conference is held through Sunday https://securityconference.org/en/msc-2025/
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