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Donald Trump tweeted threats against the nation of Panama over the weekend, suggesting in posts on Truth Social that he would take control of the Panama Canal if his demands were not met. The president-elect even included an AI-generated image of an American flag in the middle of the Channel, making it the second time Trump has threatened an allied nation with AI images after making a similar threat against Canada.
“Welcome to the United States Channel!” Trump wrote in Sundayin a message that appeared on several social media platforms, including instagram and Facebook.
The posts included an image that, at first glance, is obviously not generated by AI. But the bottom right corner includes the word Grok, the generative AI tool created by X that is both a chatbot and allows people to create images with text prompts. Grok’s watermark was cropped on platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
It’s not immediately clear where Trump or his social media team found the image, but the president-elect has been known to spread sensational images found on Twitter, especially when they are hateful and racist. Trump posted AI images of dogs and cats in September when he helped spread the lie that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were eating domestic animals.
Trump first suggested he would try to take possession of the Panama Canal a day earlier in a message spread in two Truth Social posts on Saturday.
“The Panama Canal is considered a VITAL national asset for the United States, due to its fundamental role to the economy and national security of the United States,” Trump wrote. “A secure Panama Canal is crucial to U.S. commerce and the rapid deployment of the Navy, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and dramatically reduces shipping times to U.S. ports.”
The articles then rationalized why the United States should have control over the Panama Canal, just as it did when it was created in the early 20th century. France began the project in the 1880s but abandoned it until the United States took over in 1904 and completed construction of the canal a decade later. President Jimmy Carter signed a treaty in the 1970s to return control of the Canal to Panama, but Trump would like to undo it.
“The tariffs that Panama charges are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that the United States has extended to it,” Trump wrote. “This complete ‘rip-off’ of our country will stop immediately.”
Trump then went on to say that unless concessions are made, the United States will “demand” control of the Canal, essentially a threat of war with a foreign ally.
“The United States has a vested interest in the safe, efficient and reliable operation of the Panama Canal, and that has always been understood. We will NEVER let it fall into the wrong hands!” Triumph wrote.
“It was not granted for the benefit of others, but simply as a sign of cooperation with us and Panama. If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of donation are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in its entirety and without question. To the Officials of Panama, please guide yourself accordingly!” Trump continued.
The president of Panama evidently took Trump’s threats seriously and defended the territorial integrity of his country in a video published in X.
“Every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent areas is part of Panama and will remain so,” President José Raúl Mulino said Sunday, according to an English translation by Bloomberg.
🇵🇦 Message from President José Raúl Mulino 🇵🇦 pic.twitter.com/DMXU8qAuNT
— José Raúl Mulino (@JoseRaulMulino) December 22, 2024
Trump responded to Mulino with more unhinged nonsense at an event called AmericaFest, hosted by far-right political organizations Turning Point USA.
“Has anyone ever heard of the Panama Canal?” Trump said. “Because they are scamming us in the Panama Canal like they are scamming us everywhere else.”
Trump echoed statements he had already made on social media during his live speech.
“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 its entirety, quickly and without question,” Trump said, according to the CBC.
After the speech, Trump wrote Social Truth “We’ll see” in response to President Mulino’s message, making it clear that it will be as antagonistic as possible.
This isn’t even the first time Trump has used AI-generated imagery to threaten a foreign country with an invasion. The billionaire jerk previously posted an AI image of himself standing on a mountain with an American flag and Europe’s Matterhorn in the distance. It appears that the image was supposed to symbolize Trump’s conquest of Canada, although the image clearly depicted natural formations in Europe.
Trump also included a threat against Greenland on Sunday in an announcement that he would appoint Ken Howery as ambassador to Denmark.
“For purposes of national security and freedom around the world, the United States of America feels that ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” Trump wrote. “Ken will do a wonderful job representing America’s interests.”
Some commentators insist that Trump’s threats against foreign countries are simply trolling or a “joke,” but they seem to completely deny what the country will actually face in the coming months and years. We will soon know if Trump intends to take any action against allied countries. It’s a whole new world. And no one knows for sure what awaits us.
