When Trump was campaigning in 2024, he keyed in on correcting four global concerns overlooked, mishandled, or created by former presidents. These concerns included Iran and its nuclear ambitions, Greenland with its strategic importance to the U.S., Venezuela with its drug empire, and the Panama Canal, which should have remained a U.S. possession, he maintained.
Of those four, he’s succeeded in Venezuela by extradicting the drug kingpin, and in Greenland, where he just struck a deal. Of course, the Greenland pact doesn’t do much more than the existing agreement we had with the island territory of Denmark, but at least he can claim victory.
As for Iran, on the global front most would consider our military escapade there a victory for the Mullahs and IRGC. The campaign has closed off the Strait of Hormuz, creating a worldwide oil shortage, and drained the U.S. of most of its most sophisticated weapons stockpile. It has also left the Pacific Theater without a U.S. aircraft carrier.
Let’s see: weapons shortage and no offensive power in the Pacific. What more could China want when it moves againt Taiwan next year, as it has repeatedly said it would do?
That leaves two victories (of a tenuous sorts), one failure, and one totally overlooked goal — taking back control of the Panama Canal.
Recall how we built the canal under Teddy Roosevelt and operated it until someone named Jimmy Carter was elected president. In Mr. Nice Guy mode, Carter gave control and ownership of the canal to Panama, a country created by the same Teddy Roosevelt.
Throughout his four years, Monsieur le Peanut Purveyor provided proof that “nice guys finish last.” Not only did he give up the Panama Canal, but he also lost Iran to the Mullahs, and even a hostage rescue effort he engineered proved a catastrophic failure and global embarrassment. Our country had reached bottom, and the electorate turned to one Ronald Reagan to resurrect our glory, which he did.
Now, Trump is trying to outdo Reagan, and, as noted, has had two successes, one abominable failure, and one overlooked or pushed-to-the-back-burner goal of his 2024 campaign — taking back the Panama Canal.
Unfortunately, odds are the Dems will take control of at least the House of Representatives come November, which means that Trump had better move fast on the canal. By 2027, Dems will be sure to tie his hands, through endless impeachments, if nothing else.
What are his options in Panama? A military coup à la Venezuela, or diplomacy. It seems the latter, as with Greenland, may be the only option left.
