Tesla owner, Elon Musk, has stirred reactions online with a cryptic response to United States President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial remarks about reclaiming the Panama Canal.
Musk, in a post on X, recently wrote, “2025 is gonna be so lit 🤣🤣,” shortly after Trump declared his intention to reassert U.S. control over the strategic waterway, which he has now renamed the “United States Canal.”
Trump’s comments, made during a speech at AmericaFest in Arizona on Sunday, have sparked an international uproar.
He accused Panama of charging excessive fees for the use of the canal and expressed concerns over potential Chinese influence on the passage.
“Has anyone ever heard of the Panama Canal?” Trump asked the crowd. “Because we’re being ripped off at the Panama Canal like we’re being ripped off everywhere else.”
Trump also shared an image on Truth Social showing an American flag over a waterway with the caption, “Welcome to the United States Canal!” His rhetoric escalated as he suggested that Panama had not upheld the “moral and legal principles” of the 1977 treaties that returned the canal to Panamanian control after decades of U.S. administration.
Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino was quick to push back, issuing a firm statement on X to defend his country’s sovereignty.
“Every square meter of the Panama Canal and the surrounding area belongs to Panama and will continue belonging to Panama,” he said while dismissing claims of Chinese influence.
Mulino clarified that while a Hong Kong-based company manages two ports near the canal, the waterway itself is solely under the Panamanian administration.
Trump responded to Mulino’s remarks with a blunt retort: “We’ll see about that!”
The Panama Canal, a vital trade route accounting for 2.5% of global seaborne commerce, plays a critical role in U.S. imports and exports, making it a linchpin in international trade.
However, experts have noted that Trump’s suggestion of reclaiming the canal has no grounding in international law, and such a move would risk significant diplomatic fallout.
Trump’s remarks represent a rare instance of a U.S. leader directly challenging the territorial sovereignty of an allied nation.
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