In recent weeks, when he was President-elect Donald Trump publicly said that Panama should return the Panama Canal to the United States, and he would not rule out using military force to reclaim it. At his presidential Inauguration on Monday Trump doubled down on saying that his new administration was going to take back the canal.

By Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Newly sworn-in President Donald Trump vowed on Monday that the United States would take back the Panama Canal as he delivered an inauguration speech in which he invoked the 19th century expansionist doctrine of "Manifest Destiny" in laying out plans for space exploration.

Panama Canal is an artificial 82-km waterway in Panama, a country in Central America. The United States is Panama Canal’s biggest customer, followed by China.

Trump vows to take Panama Canal back in inauguration speech In his inauguration speech on Monday (Jan 20), US President Donald Trump said Panama broke its promise to the US and vowed to take the Panama Canal back.

President Trump, in his inauguration speech, vowed to reclaim the Panama Canal, accusing Panama of not fulfilling agreements made during its 1999 transfer.