The Dictatorship
A new Trump threat broadcasts his intent to make America imperialist again
President-elect Donald Trump blurted out another outrageous promise at a Turning Point USA event Sunday in Phoenix: He now wants the Panama Canal back. Trump claimed that Panama’s shipping fees were “ridiculous” and threatened to demand the canal’s return if these fees aren’t reduced.
“I can proudly proclaim that the Golden Age of America is upon us,” Trump said. “There’s a spirit that we have now that we didn’t have just a short while ago.”
Why Trump now wants the U.S. to repossess the canal remains unclear.
Trump’s invocation of a “Golden Age” will always excite his supporters, who thrill at his call to “Make America Great Again.” But for much of Latin America, the era that slogan harks back to was defined by U.S. imperialism and exploitation. Panama knows this history better than most, having endured decades of American control over a canal that defines not just the country’s economy but its very identity.
Trump’s notion to take back the canal is not just inflammatory. It risks reigniting tensions between the U.S. and many Latin American countries, after those countries have worked hard to move past fears about American intrusions on their sovereignty. Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino swiftly rebuked Trump, stating“Every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjoining zone is Panama’s and will remain so. The sovereignty and independence of our country is non-negotiable.”
It’s worth noting that during his first term, Trump was praising the canal in a meeting with Mulino’s predecessor, Juan Carlos Varela (no relation). “The Panama Canal is doing quite well,” he said to Varela and reporters in 2017. “I think we did a good job building it.” Varela reminded Trump that the U.S. work on the canal happened “one hundred years ago.”
Indeed, in 1903 Panama’s ambassador in Washington signed a treaty with the U.S. granting the latter the rights to build and run the canal. It was built over the following decade; thousands of workers died, most of them Afro Panamanian and Caribbean. In 1977, the two countries signed the Torrijos-Carter Treatieswhich set a path for Panama to regain control of the canal at the end of 1999.
Why Trump now wants the U.S. to repossess the canal remains unclear. But his comments are part of a long history of U.S. interference in Latin America, where the 201-year-old Monroe Doctrine still looms large. Back in 1823, President James Monroe issued the doctrine as a way of speaking out against meddling by European powers. But those ideas “soon became a watchword of U.S. policy in the Western Hemisphere,” according to the National Archivesessentially guiding American intervention and imperialism in Latin America for two centuries.
Dated rhetoric about taking back the Panama Canal reveals the broader pattern of U.S. interference that treats Latin America as a resource to be controlled. Trying to reclaim this bygone symbol of American dominance because Trump says so is as imperialistic as it gets.
There was a time when the United States recognized that its control over the Panama Canal had caused too much violence and damage. The Torrijos-Carter Treaties came after decades of tension, unrest, and growing resistance from the Panamanian people, who had long been at odds with U.S. dominance over such a vital national resource. It not only formally acknowledged Panama’s sovereignty but was also a necessary step to address international calls for a redefined relationship between the U.S. and Panama.
How quickly we forget the joy Panamanians felt when the canal was finally theirs.
But the story didn’t end with the treaties. In 1989, the United States invaded Panama to depose President Manuel Noriega, on the grounds of protecting American lives and interests. After the treaties’ promise of a peaceful transition for control of the canal, the invasion left a lasting mark on U.S.-Panama relations, resulting in significant loss of life and deepening Panama’s mistrust of American intervention.
It’s not just Panama, either: Dismissing Trump’s comments about the canal as off-hand ignores his broader nationalist and transactional approach to foreign policy. The MAGA narrative prioritizes U.S. interests at the expense of international cooperation and respect for sovereignty. Trump has already threatened Mexicoresurrected his interest in purchasing Greenlandand talked about “the Great State of Canada.” He consistently frames global relationships as opportunities for the U.S. to assert dominance, using grievances over trade, security and perceived unfairness to rally his base. His remarks about Panama are the latest example of this transactional mindset, where other countries are treated as bargaining chips in a game of American self-interest.
That attitude may earn cheers from Trump’s supporters, many of whom lack awareness of the crucial historical context. However, it also alienates the United States from much of Latin America, where the scars of intervention and dominance still run deep. Latin American nations have worked hard to assert their autonomy, and rhetoric like Trump’s threatens to undo that progress. Instead of fostering cooperation, it plays into old fears of U.S. overreach and undermines the trust that is necessary for genuine partnership.
How quickly we forget the joy Panamanians felt when the canal was finally theirs. To Panamians, the canal is more than a canal. It is a testament to how history’s tragedies have resulted in a sense of pride and national identity, the very same principles Trump claims he represents.
“My father and others instilled in me that I should respect their efforts in the construction of the canal,” one man who worked on the canal for seven decades said back in 1999. “It was built mostly with the blood, sweat and tears of Blacks.”
“I am glad we Panamanians now have the canal,” he continued, “and we will run it as well or better than the Americans did.”
That feeling just doesn’t disappear because Trump said what he said on Sunday. Panama has run the canal for 25 years now, and no amount of imperialist bullying from Trump will change that. The canal is Panama’s, and the pride and resilience of its people will continue to guide its future. Trump may try to rewrite history, but the legacy of Panama’s sovereignty cannot be undone.
Julio Ricardo Varela is an award-winning journalist and the founder of The Latino Newsletter.
International rage over FIFA’s close ties to President Donald Trump has reached a fever pitch after soccer’s governing body announced a plan to sell a significant stake to an investor group led by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law.
The president and his family have all but turned the White House into their personal piggy bank. And FIFA — which has its own sordid history of corruption — seems to have made itself a party to Trump’s self-enrichment under Gianni Infantino’s leadership, such as by paying for space inside Trump Tower in New York. (The organization has defended the office rental as a World Cup outpost.)
Soccer is seen by many as a unifying game. But Trump’s incorporation of FIFA into his political dynasty is threatening that idea.
FIFA has announced plans to sell a large minority stake in a new company that will run its main events, including the World Cup and Club World Cup, as part of a plan to triple the amount of development money it dishes out to its 211 member associations.
Under the proposals — which are subject to approval by a majority of those national associations and FIFA’s 37-member council — a new entity called FIFA Forward Enterprises (FFE) will take over all commercial operations, while FIFA remains the game’s global governing body and retains a majority stake in FFE.
A press release from FIFA confirmed the plans and said Thrive Eternal, which was launched by Joshua Kushner, is expected to lead the investment group that would control FIFA Forward Enterprise. FIFA did not clarify why Thrive Eternal was selected, and Kushner was already dabbling in sports.
But Trump basically has already given son-in-law Jared Kushner carte blanche to dictate U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East while simultaneously hatching business plans in the region. (Jared Kushner has denied any conflicts of interest.)
Joshua Kushner reportedly has been a major donor to Democrats. But, predictably, the idea of another Kushner becoming financially entwined with the World Cup — the world’s most popular sporting event — and basically being dropped into a position of global significance isn’t going over well. Several other soccer governing bodies have expressed concerns, including Europe’s UEFA.
“This crosses a line that football’s governing institutions should never cross,” UEFA said in a statement about The Athletic’s report, adding: “The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade — especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA’s to sell.”
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee also rebuked the plan, writing on X: “Apparently the fake Peace Prize and giant lease with Trump Tower weren’t enough — now Infantino performs a kickback hat trick by pursuing a multibillion-dollar deal with Jared Kushner’s brother to sell ownership stakes in the World Cup to private investors.”
FIFA, Donald Trump’s favorite corrupt racketeering enterprise in world sports, is now going directly into business with the Trump family!
Apparently the fake Peace Prize and giant lease with Trump Tower weren’t enough—now Infantino performs a kickback hat trick by pursuing a… https://t.co/knSZibuMea
— House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) July 28, 2026
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., has already launched an investigation into the FIFA leader’s relationship with the Trump administration, while dozens of European lawmakers — citing concerns about “potential breaches of political neutrality” — have called for the FIFA Ethics Committee to investigate Infantino. This new proposal seems unlikely to assuage those concerns.
But what it does seem likely to do is fuel global anger toward the U.S. — the kind that has been growing since Trump retook office.
And when you consider that, it’s truly remarkable how the same MAGA movement whose members whined for years about politics mixing with sports is now in lockstep with a president who seems dead-set on casting his shadow over every sports event he can.
This post on X basically sums up the foul stench around FIFA’s latest proposal.
Sepp Blatter was Infantino’s predecessor as FIFA president and oversaw the organization amid some of its many scandals. When heof all people, is warning about how Trump and Infantino’s relationship is “deeply damaging” soccer, it’s a sign of how far FIFA has descended into the gutter.
Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.
Today’s edition of quick hits.
* In the Middle East: “Jordan’s air defenses intercepted five missiles launched from Iran early Wednesday, the country’s military said, hours after the U.S. military said it had knocked down an Iranian missile barrage launched against American forces in the Middle East, shattering a brief pause in fighting.”
* At the Fed: “The Federal Reserve on Wednesday voted to hold its key interest rate steady but not without opposition from three officials who have expressed concern over inflation and wanted to hike. Despite increasing support among some officials for a rate increase, the Federal Open Market Committee voted 9-3 to leave the federal funds rate in a range between 3.5% and 3.75%.”
* All eyes on Cornyn: “Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, has yet to decide whether he will vote to confirm acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to permanently head the Department of Justice after saying Wednesday he was ‘not prepared’ to lend his support to President Donald Trump’s nominee.”
* This request is intended to repay the National Park Service, whose funds Team Trump unjustly raided: “The Trump administration is asking Congress for an additional $10 million to cover costs related to Freedom 250 events recently held on the National Mall, including a prayer event, a fair and a fireworks show.”
* Will the Carroll case ever end? “The Supreme Court already denied the first of Donald Trump’s two petitions against E. Jean Carroll. But the second petition, filed Tuesday, stands a better chance of gaining the high court’s interest because it raises presidential immunity and is backed by the Justice Department.”
* I’m eager to hear why a private citizen can’t delete the contents of his own phone: “It sounds like something James Bond would use: a gadget that self-destructs if it falls into the wrong hands. But it’s actually an open-source operating system that can be downloaded onto Android phones. Federal prosecutors in Atlanta are bringing an obstruction charge against a U.S. citizen who gave customs officers what is known as a duress passcode, which activated software that erased the contents of his phone.”
* My advice: Read real books written entirely by real people: “A few years into the A.I. era, there is sobering evidence that a significant and growing portion of the novels being sold are written with or by chatbots, and that readers are buying them. A new study conducted by computer scientists using A.I. detection software to analyze thousands of self-published novels on Amazon, found that a substantial number of those novels contained chatbot-generated prose.”
See you tomorrow.
Steve Benen is a producer for “The Rachel Maddow Show,” the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He’s also the bestselling author of “Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans’ War on the Recent Past.”
Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse said Wednesday that acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was “very condescending” toward them in their meeting with him this month and told them to “get to the point.”
Ahead of the Senate Judiciary Committee vote on whether to move President Donald Trump’s nomination as attorney general to the full Senate for a vote, the survivors were on Capitol Hill urging Republican lawmakers to deny Blanche the position.
Survivor Dani Bensky told reporters that the meeting a couple of weeks ago with Blanche, who had declined to meet with them for months, was “very condescending” and that he would not answer their questions on why investigative leads and referrals in the case have not been followed.
“He actually said the words ‘Get to the point’ to us,” Benskey said. “We’re survivors who have been waiting to meet with him for nine months, eight months.”
Another survivor said Blanche told them he had not read the files.
Bensky, who was standing with other survivors outside the office of Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, voiced appreciation for the senator for his support of survivors. The said they had not met with Cornyn Wednesday but had spoken to Judiciary Committee staff members, and that the meeting was “productive” and the staff members “were very pleasant and very open.”
Cornyn said Wednesday that he is “not prepared to vote yes” on Blanche’s nomination. He also called off a meeting with Blanche, saying the nominee had failed to provide proof that President Donald Trump’s “anti-weaponization” fund is officially dead.
Survivors have been campaigning for GOP holdouts to vote against Blanche’s confirmation. Bensky said her group had run into Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., in the elevator earlier and that he said he would like to meet with them. Tillis has also suggested that he might oppose Blanche’s confirmation.
Bensky said it would have “a massive chilling effect to all survivors across the U.S.” if Blanche’s nomination is moved out of committee and to the full Senate.
Asked for the survivors’ final message to the lawmakers, Bensky said: “It’s not political. Just do the right thing. Just be on the right side of history.”
Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW, with a focus on how global events and foreign policy shape U.S. politics. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.
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