The Trump Administration isn’t just talking tough on China—it’s taking bold, strategic action to secure vital American interests across the globe, especially in our own hemisphere. During a commanding interview on Fox News’ *Sunday Morning Futures* on April 13, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed what many conservatives have long feared and what President Trump is now working tirelessly to reverse: communist China’s growing grip on the Panama Canal.
The message from Hegseth was clear—under President Trump’s leadership, the days of ceding control of strategic assets to Beijing are over.
“President Trump said at a State of the Union address, China has too much influence over the Panama Canal, and America is gonna take it back,” Hegseth declared. “That’s exactly what I was charged to do.”
For too long, the U.S. stood idly by while the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) gained an alarming foothold in Central America, using infrastructure investments and backroom deals to gain leverage over critical shipping routes. The Panama Canal—used by both commercial and military vessels—has long been considered one of the most vital maritime chokepoints on Earth. And now, President Trump is reclaiming it for the free world.
In a series of historic agreements with the Panamanian government, the Trump Administration has secured American priority access to the canal. “Seventy-five percent of ships are going to or from a U.S. port,” Hegseth noted. “We were able to secure two historic agreements… military vessels and auxiliary vessels will travel first and free through that canal.”
But Trump didn’t stop at diplomacy—he’s reinforcing it with a show of strength. Hegseth revealed that Fort Sherman, a former U.S. military base, will reopen in coordination with Panama to reestablish a robust American presence in the region. “You need to secure that key terrain,” Hegseth emphasized. “We are working with them to keep the communist Chinese out.”
This is a strategic win for U.S. national security and a sharp rebuke of the globalist policies of past administrations, both Democrat and Republican, who allowed the CCP to spread its influence unchecked through China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
“If we can’t use that waterway in a key contingency, China has an advantage,” Hegseth warned. “We’ve been asleep at the wheel. President Trump says we need to be serious about our own backyard.”
In a nod to Panama’s cooperation, Hegseth praised newly elected President Molina, calling him a “pro-Trump, pro-America” ally standing firm against communist pressure.
“The communist Chinese want to control politicians. They’re building infrastructure projects. They want to surveil. They want to take that canal,” Hegseth concluded. “President Trump says not on our watch—and we are fighting back.”
This is the America First doctrine in action: unapologetic, strategic, and fiercely committed to protecting American sovereignty. While others cave to globalist pressures, President Trump is drawing the line—and the CCP just ran into it.
