The answer is simple: there is no greater or more idealistic symbol of U.S. power in the world than the Panama Canal. As Trump seeks a way to enhance the country's power in the world, leaning on imagery regarding the Panama Canal provides just the right message.

Panama has reportedly submitted a formal letter to the U.N. rejecting Trump's statement about reclaiming the canal. The country's President José Raúl Mulino said in the letter, dated January 20, that the canal "is and will continue to be Panama's," the New York Times reported.

The Panama Canal connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean, providing a crucial shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans for maritime traffic. The United States handed Panamanian control of the canal in 1999 after overseeing its construction and operation for most of the 20th century.

Trump has made several suggestions this week of ways to redraw the map. Here’s what to know about his interest in Greenland, the Panama Canal, Canada and the “Gulf of America.”

President-elect Donald Trump wouldn't rule out military or economic coercion, saying the U.S. needs to stop China. Also a factor: climate change.

Donald Trump argues that the US needs Greenland for national security, while a retaking of the Panama Canal is necessary to curb the overcharging of American ships and combat Chinese influence.

America will soon be greater, stronger and far more exceptional than ever before,” President Donald Trump said Monday in his inaugural address. “For American citizens, Jan. 20, 2025, is Liberation Day,