Trump threatens to retake Panama Canal while Lara abandons Senate bid – live

Trump accused Panama of “ripping off” American vessels by charging “exorbitant prices” to use the vital waterway that acts as a shortcut linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Without it, ships would be forced to sail a much further distance around South America’s rocky Cape Horn.

Trump referred to the 1977 treaty over the canal’s status, which transferred control of the canal from the U.S. to Panama at the end of the 20th century.

It was hailed as one of President Jimmy Carter’s greatest accomplishments, but Trump slammed the 39th president for “foolishly giving it away for one dollar.”

Donald Trump has threatened to retake the Panama Canal in a lengthy post on Truth Social.

The president-elect accused Panama of charging American vessels unreasonable fees to use the waterway.

He referred to a 1977 treaty over the canal’s status.

“If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question. To the Officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly!”

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said that in passing the spending bill House Democrats stopped the “billionaire boy’s club.”

“We have successfully stopped extreme MAGA Republicans from shutting down the government, crashing the economy, and hurting working-class Americans,” Jeffries told reporters after Friday’s vote, adding that the stop-gap measure a “victory for the American people.”

After announcing a 25 percent tariff on the U.S. largest trading partners, Canada and Mexico, and threatening to increase tariffs on China, Trump has now targeted the E.U.

“I told the European Union that they must make up their tremendous deficit with the United States by the large scale purchase of our oil and gas. Otherwise, it is TARIFFS all the way!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social around 1 a.m. Friday.

Congress is allocating more than $100 billion in emergency aid designed to address extensive damage caused by disasters after this week’s scramble to find consensus on a government spending bill.

The money comes after back-to-back hurricanes — Helene and Milton — slammed into the southeastern United States this fall, leaving havoc in their wake. But the money would go to much more than just those two storms under the bill meant to keep the federal government funded through March 14.

Donald Trump has announced that Brian Burch, a critic of Pope Francis, is his pick for ambassador to the Vatican.

“I am pleased to announce that Brian Burch will serve as the next United States Ambassador to the Holy See. Brian is a devout Catholic, a father of nine, and President of CatholicVote.

“He has received numerous awards, and demonstrated exceptional leadership, helping build one of the largest Catholic advocacy groups in the Country. He represented me well during the last Election, having garnered more Catholic votes than any Presidential Candidate in History!

“Brian loves his Church and the United States – He will make us all proud. Congratulations to Brian, his wife Sara, and their incredible family!”

Burch has criticized the Pope’s leadership on social media and shared the writings of some right-wing clerics who are critical of him.

Lara Trump has dropped out of the running for the Senate tonight, teasing a “big announcement” to come in January.

ICE deported 271,484 people this year, the highest since 2014 when the agency deported more than 300,000 people, according to their fiscal year 2024 report.