In his inaugural address, US President Donald Trump promised to "take back" the "foolish gift" from the United States that was the Panama Canal. But was it in fact a gift? And does China really control it as he claims?

In his inaugural speech, President Donald Trump repeated his plan to regain control of the Panama Canal. Can he?

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.

The new Panamanian ambassador was given strict instructions as he prepared to meet then-President Donald Trump one day in 2019: Do not engage him in any substantive discussion of critical issues.

During Monday’s inauguration, Donald Trump repeated his threat to retake the Panama Canal. The United States controlled the waterway since the early 20th century, but in 1977 President Jimmy Carter signed a landmark treaty to give Panama control of the canal.

The U.S. does not have any authority over the Panama Canal. The waterway ... control until treaties signed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter set terms for its eventual transfer to Panama.

More than 100 years after the construction of the engineering marvel that linked the Atlantic and Pacific oceans — and 25 years after the canal was returned to Panama by the US — the Panama Canal faces renewed intimidation from US President Donald Trump.

In his speech, Trump vowed to lead a government that "expands our territory," referencing his ambitions to acquire Greenland from Denmark and reclaim U.S. control of the Panama Canal. However, the path to achieving these goals remains uncertain, as he is likely to face resistance both domestically and internationally.

Carter's restrained statesmanship at the height of US dominance stands in contrast to Trump's bellicose rhetoric as his country's influence declines Almost half a century after US president Jimmy Carter signed the Torrijos-Carter Treaties in 1977,